Search
08 Sept 2025
Search
08 Sept 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Joseph O’Brien is confident Busselton can build on his victory in the Kerry National when he lines up in the Coral Gold Cup on November 26.
Having been steadily stepped up in distance by his Owning Hill handler, the five-year-old thrived for his first try at three miles at Listowel in September, staying on gamely to take advantage of the final fence unseat of Hewick.
Now he is set to be one of a maximum of three Irish raiders who will head to Newbury in search of the £142,375 first prize later this month, with O’Brien believing both the make-up of the track and the race will play to the strengths of his four-time fences winner.
Busselton (@JosephOBrien2 and @JJjslevin) wins the @GuinnessIreland Kerry National at @ListowelRaces with the horses and jockeys who came down at the final fence unscathed. Our thoughts are with Rock Road, who was pulled up mid-race. pic.twitter.com/WvlPIuEB4y
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 21, 2022
He said: “For sure it was a career best last time and we think this race will suit him well.
“Big fields suit him fine and he’s a consistent, hardy horse. The track will suit him well, and we are hoping for a good run.”
O’Brien has already tasted notable success on British shores this season when Banbridge ran out an impressive winner of the Grade Two Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The Cheltenham Festival winner pulled six-lengths clear of runner-up Tommy’s Oscar and O’Brien is full of praise for the Ronnie Bartlett-owned six-year-old.
He continued: “We were really pleased with the performance, and it was a lovely round of jumping.
“It looked a hot race on paper, and he is an exciting horse for the future. I am delighted to have a horse like that for Ronnie.”
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
