Unbeaten Son Of Mahler On Target For Ballymore

Journey With Me (6g Mahler - Kilbarry Demon, by Bob’s Return) shortened in price for the Ballymore Novices Hurdle when extending his unbeaten record at Naas on Saturday afternoon.

Sent off a short-priced favourite under Rachael Blackmore, Henry De Bromhead’s charge took over from a slow early pace at the fourth flight. Asked to quicken at the last, he kept on well on the run-in to score by three lengths from Grade 3 performer Choice Of Words (Yeats), while the previously unbeaten Pinkerton (Ocovango) took third.

Bred by Con O’Keeffe, Journey With Me is owned by Robcour, who purchased the chesnut privately after his impressive win in a four-year-old maiden for Michael Murphy. The son of Mahler went on to win his bumper by 13 lengths and made a successful hurdle debut at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, beating subsequent Grade 1 performer Minella Crooner and the 2021 Punchestown Champion Bumper victor Kilcruit.