Horse In Focus - Golden Kite

Golden Kite

• Golden Kite [1] won the Munster National at Limerick [2]on Sunday to record the biggest win of the horse, jockey and trainers' careers - so far.

• He beat Noel Meade [3]'s Fisher Bridge [4] by the narrowest of margins in a photo finish, off the feather weight of 9-11. He led from pillar to post and showed great heart and determination to fend off the challenge of Meade's inmate.
  • The 8 year old was following up his Midlands National win earlier this year and his unlucky in running Kerry National run a few weeks previous.
  • He is bred by Mrs Cora Cronin in BROWNSTONE STUD near Midleton in Co. Cork and currently has around 10 mares there.
  • He is owned by Anthony Calnan, a doctor from Bandon in Cork, who is described as a patient gentleman and a dying breed amongst owners, according the horses' trainer.
  • The trainer Adrian Maguire [5], keeps going from strength to strength and has proven time and again that he can train them for the big day. He is a shrewd judge of a horse and always puts the horses' well being first. Thanks mostly to Golden Kite, he has now won over half of the total prize money he won in the whole of last season. It could be a very good season indeed, for the Cork based trainer.
  • Golden Kite, who is an Anshan gelding out of a Miss Nee mare, started off his career by winning his only point to point at Inch by no less than 12l on good to firm ground in April 2007 - not bad for your first outing in public!
  • In spite of his obvious love for good ground he managed to win his maiden hurdle at Limerick [6] on soft to heavy going over 2m3f. In the summer of last year he then won a 3m hurdle at Cork [7] and on his next start he won his first chase at the 6th attempt in a 3m1f Novice Chase at Killbeggan [8].
  • He then went on to win a 3m novice chase at Clonmel [9] on his prefered fast ground. On his second start in April this year he won a handicap chase over 2m6f at Tramore [10]. In July he went on to win the Midlands National at Kilbeggan [11] over 2m6f with a little cut in the ground.
  • After that he ran in the Kerry National in Listowel [12] but was hampered early on by the fall of Oscar Looby [13]. His rider Brian O'Connell looked after him after that and he got his turn on his next start in the Munster National.
  • There are no immediate plans for him but he could be an Irish National horse come next April. Whatever he does, he's an exciting prospect for the future.