Gale Mahler given extended break ahead of spring targets

Gale Mahler is on a well-deserved break having extended her winning run to six at the Galway Festival last week.

Adrian Keatley’s mare has made giant strides this summer, winning bumpers at Southwell and Kelso in May before having her attentions switched to hurdling.

Victories at Market Rasen twice and Uttoxeter preceded her trip to Ireland where she faced a different calibre of opposition, taking on horses from Willie Mullins, Gordon Elliott, Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell.

She was in a league of her own, however, with Henry Brooke guiding her to a 10-length win and the sky looks the limit.

“She came out of the race in great condition, we were absolutely delighted with her and she’s gone on a deserved break this morning for five or six weeks,” said Keatley.

“When we bring her back in we’ll campaign her with very much the spring in mind.

“We’re not going to be running her on heavy ground in the winter, but we will pick and choose a couple of nice races to dip our toe in and see what level she can go at.

“You can’t knock anything she has done so far, the Irish handicapper gave her 135 the other day so he holds her in that kind of regard. At that level she’s a filly that is well entitled to go for the top handicaps in the spring, but we feel there’s a lot more to come from her.

“She’s very versatile, she’s gone from two and a half miles to two-two and back down to two miles which is not an easy task for a National Hunt horse.

“We’ve the big festivals at the back of our minds in the spring and we’ll test the water once or twice before then. The way she handled the place there’s no reason not to think she wouldn’t go back to Galway, but there’s loads of pots to think about.

“When she comes back in we’ll make plans and work our way back from the spring.”