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PAUL NOLAN has come a long way since injury forced him to turn his back on a distinguished hurling career
and switch to racing. He had his first winner little more than seven years ago and he has won two of the last
four runnings of the Galway Hurdle with Say Again and Cloone River.
However, it's Accordion Etoile who has boosted his profile across the channel, winning the Greatwood Hurdle
in a canter just under 12 months ago and finishing fourth in the Champion Hurdle.Dabiroun gave him and Nina Carberry
there first Cheltenham Festival winners, and If things go according to plan, both Paul Nolan and Nina Carberry will continue
to make an impact at the Festival. Accordion Etolie leads the charge heading the betting in the market for the Arkle Trophy.
Nolan, 36, has a team of 70 at the stables he built on land near Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, where his father was a sheep farmer.
He is assisted by his brother James and head man Brendan Walsh. John Cullen is the stable jockey,
but quite a number of rides will go to Robbie Moran. Aidan Fitzgerald heads a string of amateurs.
Principal Horses at Toberona for 2005:
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Hopefully he will reach a mark over fences that he
obtained over hurdles to take him near the top of the pile. It was unfortunate that he made that mistake at
the second-last on his chasing debut in Limerick when he was racing on ground that he didn't like,
but I was happy with his jumping up to that point. It was a novicey mistake made when they quickened up
after going no pace earlier and hopefully he will learn from it. He goes for the two-mile novice chase at the
Cheltenham Paddy Power meeting. We trained him for the Betdaq Hurdle at Tipperary which meant that he was in during
the summer and he needs to have a break after running at Cheltenham so that we can bring him back to train
him for the Arkle Trophy. In any case he doesn't want winter ground.
Last season he was fourth
in a very good Gowran Park bumper and the form has worked out well. Hopefully he will soon win a bumper
before going hurdling. He jumps well and looks a nice horse. He's a very mature four-year-old
and it's unbelievable how strong he is for his size. He thrives on his work.
He hasn't run since that heavy
fall in the Galway Hurdle. He is back in training and seems fine. He goes over fences and will run in races
around two miles.However, I don't want to make plans for him anymore because if I set my sights on something
and try to have him ready for it I will be thinking of the glory of winning the target race rather than the horse.
I want him to tell us when he is ready to run but so far I am delighted with the way he is going.
He has oceans of speed and he is at his best on goodish ground although he is not that inconvenienced if there is cut in it.
Had two disappointing races
after winning a two-mile chase at Naas last November but ran a great race in the Grand National until he was
hampered at Becher's second time round. He had to jump it almost from a standstill
and ended up with a pulled muscle. But he was enjoying himself until then and could have finished in the frame.
He will again be aimed at the National and, hopefully, he will start off with the Thyestes in mind and might have a run
run over hurdles before hand.
The name means harbour of love.
A nice young horse who finished fast on his Punchestown debut and only just failed to get up after making up
about 20 lengths in the straight.I think an awful lot of him.
Originally we thought he wanted
it soft but now he looks like a horse who is better on better ground.
He stays galloping on it and he just doesn't seem to have the same battling qualities when it is soft.
Might be on the right side of the handicapper over fences and hopefully will pick up a race.
She's a very decent genuine mare.
She will run in two-mile handicap hurdles in the first half of the season with the pierse as her main aim
and then go chasing. We want to get some black type with her and she loves soft ground.
Could be a progressive sort
although he is a different horse altogether from his full brother Accordion Etoile.
He is entered in the Greatwood Hurdle and if he is not in the handicap he will run in the novice hurdle instead.
He seems best on good ground but I think he would handle soft better than his brother.