Image © Healy Racing
Poet’s Word was responsible for a notable treble of four-year-old gelding maiden winners across Monksgrange and Oldcastle on Sunday.
The Boardsmill Stud resident struck twice at Monksgrange before completing the hat-trick at Oldcastle, reinforcing his growing reputation.
Wordfromhome initiated the treble with a winning debut for Sean Thomas Doyle and the Monbeg Partnership in the opening division at Monksgrange. A €65,000 Tattersalls Derby Sale purchase, he prevailed by a length, with the front pair clear, recording the fastest time of the day and providing rider Jamie Scallan with a milestone 100th success in the saddle.
“I’d say he could be a hell of a horse,” Doyle said. “He was just green going down to the last. I’d be good friends with Mark Scallan, who trained the second, and he fancied his horse coming here. Jamie said he went through the race with ease.
“He is by a really exciting up-and-coming sire and hopefully now he’ll head to the Aintree Sale.”
The Colin Bowe-trained Heron Hill followed up half an hour later in the second division under Barry O’Neill, overcoming late drama to score decisively by eight-and-a-half lengths on debut.
“It was a messy race, but he is a very nice horse,” said Bowe’s assistant, Brendan Walsh.
“We’ve always liked him and he has a good pedigree. We thought a good bit of him coming here and he is for sale.”
The treble was completed at Oldcastle, where Goodbye Earl provided Bowe with a third winner of the day. Showing the benefit of his third-placed debut at Farmacaffley, he stayed on well to land the competitive four-year-old maiden by two lengths.
“He did that very well,” said rider Bertie Finn. “Barry said beforehand to keep it simple on him. He had finished third the last day, but Barry O’Neill was still very happy with him.
“You know it’s a tough track up there in the North. We came here today hopeful. He jumped savage and quickened well to the line. Yeah, he’s a nice horse.”
Poet’s Word was unlucky not to record a four-timer on the day when Eamonn Doyle’s well-bred newcomer Bold Script was narrowly denied by a neck in a five-year-old geldings’ contest at Liscarroll.
A dual Group 1 winner and one of the highest-rated sons of Poet’s Voice, Poet’s Word possessed a rare blend of class and stamina on the Flat, landing the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes as well as the Prince of Wales’s Stakes during a career that yielded just under £3 million in prize-money.
Retired to Boardsmill Stud in 2019, he has proven popular from the outset, covering strong books of mares and attracting the support of many of the leading point-to-point handlers and breeders.
A quality individual with size, scope and a good action, his progeny have been well received in the sales ring, and the 2026 season sees the second Boardsmill-bred crop of his four-year-olds emerge. He has already sired seven individual winners between the flags this season, including five four-year-olds, with Sunday’s treble a notable highlight.
Other National Hunt stallions standing at the Flood family’s Boardsmill Stud in Trim, County Meath, include Sumbal and Arrest.
