Mon Na Slieve First Turf Winner
The 2025 turf season is underway but as always it is quite a tame start. The bandwagon is creeping along rather than kickstarting a runaway train. Following a weekend of action at Doncaster, the flat is a little dis-jointed, with minimal turf meetings and reverting back to the artificial surface. Thankfully Musselburgh offered perfect spring ground for their opening meeting, where Mon Na Slieve took advantage in the 5f Virgin Bet Daily Price Boosts Handicap.
Having not won since his debut, Mon Na Slieve had quite a bit to prove coming into the new season. He had been given every chance to regain his form, but continued to run disappointingly over the winter. Whether the surface didn’t suit him or whether Mon Na Slieve was becoming a little bit lazy in races, a solution was not obvious.
Down to a very handy mark of 77, Mon Na Slieve lined up against 7 rivals with Shane Gray in the saddle. Spring sunshine had been beating down on the Scottish track, meaning the ground was lovely for the opening meet. Mon Na Slieve bounced out of the stalls and was quickly into stride, showing some zest early on.
Pressuring the leader throughout the early stages, Mon Na Slieve was certainly racing with far more enthusiasm than has been shown in recent performances. With the speed recorded at 43mph, the field were quickly down past halfway and into the business end of the race. Shane allowed the chestnut to race in his hands and the 4yo travelled smoothly towards the stands side rail. Mon Na Slieve looked to be going well, although the fav was looming dangerously towards the outer as the race began to heat up.
Shane got to work on his mount and Mon Na Slieve picked up, really showing a willing attitude on the day. The pair moved through to lead as they headed inside the final furlong and quickly took control of the race. With his nearest rivals unable to match him, Mon Na Slieve started to edge away as Shane drove for the line. He didn’t really hit top gear until 1/2f from home and it was at this point that Mon Na Slieve began to assert. Pulling clear, Mon Na Slieve ran out a ready winner, crossing the line with a length advantage.
It is always nice to see a horse turn their fortunes around and Mon Na Slieve had to stop his slide, which he did in good style. Now a 4yo, Mon Na Slieve doesn’t have that many miles on the clock and so he can build on this and rise back through the ranks. He is a very quick horse and there should be plenty of 5f races coming up for him and with this sort of enthusiasm, Mon Na Slieve can bounce back to his best.