NAAS, Ireland--Irv Naylor's French Light, trained by Keri Brion, ran fourth in a $35,500, G3 Novice Hurdle at Naas on March 14, but according to Brion took so little out of himself that they may run him back at Down Patrick in a week.
The ground was horrible," said Brion. "The ground had been good, and then we got two days of rain. He didn't try that hard. If things aren't to his liking, he doesn't try."
"When we got back to the barn, he drank just three-quarters of a bucket of water and cooled out very fast," said Brion. "When I led him out the next day to graze, he reared like a stallion and tried to strike out at me. I talked to the Naylors, and there's a race at Down Patrick for him next week. I'll enter him, and if he's still that fresh and the ground is good, we'll run him. Down Patrick is three hours north of here, and the ground is better there."
"The Naylors just bought another horse over here, Scorpion's Revenge, and he's running there," said Brion. "He'll be coming back to the U.S., and he either go to Cyril Murphy or me."
Baltimore Bucko and The Mean Queen are running Wednesday, March 17 at Down Royal.
"MR. MOORHEAD bought The Mean Queen last year over here, and she ran once in a point-to-point and won easily, and then ran back in a flat race and was second," said Brion. "She got a break and then came to me."
"Fancy Pance and Clondaw Camp have had little problems and haven't been ready to run," said Brion. "They're both owned by Mr, Moorhead. He has a very good relationship with James Doyle, so he's going to leave those two over here with James."
Brion is stabled at Doyle's Baltimore Stable in Ireland, and Doyle, who has previously only trained horses at point-to-points, is getting his trainer's license now,