Richmond Park (Ire) 2022

Richmond Park is a Derby Sale graduate and a half-brother to the Willie Mullins trained 150 rated, Mr Incredible, who is Grade 2 placed and can count himself a little unlucky in two consecutive Grand Nationals.

This 5yo son of Kingston Hill (sire of a Cheltenham Festival Winner this year) was bought to go pointing in Ireland and made his debut in March for Jimmy Kelly (only one winner for him this season) where he unfortunately unseated at the first.  He came out again the next Sunday, 7 days later, where Derek O’Connor took the ride and travelled very nicely throughout in midfield, Monksgrange seeming to suit his long striding action.  It was only when he set off in pursuit of the eventual winner of the race on the run to two-out that a loose horse seemed to distract him a little and he knuckled over.  He would undoubtedly have finished in the first three.

When the ground dried up, we brought him over to the UK with the plan to have a summer’s grass and go down the Autumn bumper route.  He has grown into a fine big horse and looks every inch a chaser for the future, (maybe one day atoning for his half-brother’s unfortunate luck in a National?).  I know the galloping work he had been doing early in the season and I felt Jimmy’s horses were bang out of form when we asked him to run . The improvement will be massive when healthy.