Principal Jockeys: John Cullen, Roger Quinlan
Notable Wins:
- Durkan New Homes Novice Chase: Follow The Plan 2008
- paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle: Whatuthink 2008
Oliver McKiernan is one of a dwindling group of trainers that trains a small number of horses mostly for himself, but that hasn’t prevented the Rathcoole-based builder from enjoying success at the highest level with Follow The Plan this season. However, that is not the only Graded-class performer in McKiernan’s care, as Whatuthink has already stamped himself as a high-class performer in recent seasons, and further success at the highest level would not come as a surprise.
Whatuthink has been one of the most talented horses to have passed through McKiernan’s hands in recent years. He began his career in the point-to-point field, falling at the second last when holding every chance in a maiden at Tallow in February 2006. He soon left that disappointment behind him, finishing in the frame in three bumpers before winning a similar event by a wide margin at Naas in January 2007. His final start that season came in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival and he ran with credit to finish mid-field, being beaten just 18 lengths behind Cork All Star. He delivered on the promise of that campaign when sent over hurdles in 2007/8, winning a maiden hurdle at Cork before running very well to finish third in the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on his next start. His next port of call was a highly-competitive renewal of the Grade 2 paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown and despite being sent off at 20/1, he saw off Forpadydeplasterer and Cork All Star in gritty fashion under Conor O’Dwyer. While he failed to reproduce that form in his two subsequent starts that season, he has proved better than ever in 2008/9, running with great credit in Graded company and failing to overhaul Catch Me by just a head in the Grade 2 woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. He looks to be a lively outsider for the World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and granted some ease in the ground, Whatuthink could well make his presence felt at the business end of proceedings.
Follow The Plan made no mistake on his first public appearance, winning a point-to-point at Maganey in November 2007, but it took him a while to find the winner’s enclosure when his attentions were turned to the racecourse, eventually making it fifth time lucky when winning a maiden hurdle at Thurles the following March. He ran well in defeat on a number of occasions after that, but it was not until he was sent over fences this season that he truly began to realise his potential. He made his chasing debut at Clonmel in late-October and couldn’t have made a more impressive start to his new discipline, winning a maiden chase by no less than 30 lengths. He built on the promise of that run when narrowly prevailing in a well-contested novice chase at Gowran Park three weeks later and while he met with defeat in a similar event at Navan a few weeks later, he had his excuses and would soon prove that form to be all wrong. Three weeks later, he lined up for a red-hot renewal of the Grade 1 Durkan New Homes Novice Chase at the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown and under an inspired ride from John Cullen, he got the better of a titanic struggle with the strongly-fancied Tatenen by the narrowest of margins, giving McKiernan his first win at the highest level.
With the Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival to look forward to with Follow The Plan and the World Hurdle at the same meeting very much being on Whatuthink’s radar, the future looks exciting for Oliver McKiernan and he is very much a trainer to keep on the right side of.
January 2009
