Pioneer Racing are ecstatic to secure the highly rated Cuneo from the recent Goffs UK sale. This son of elite sire Kapgarde was sourced for us by Gordon Elliott and Aidan ‘Mouse’ O’Ryan from the annual Gigginstown dispersal sale where Gordon and Mouse have had great success in the past and we hope Cuneo can keep that strong winning theme going for everyone involved. After having our first Cheltenham Festival runner in the Pioneer Racing silks this year, We are determined to secure more high class horses who have the ability to run and be competitive in the high value races at the big meetings especially over the Winter and into the Spring giving their owners the thrill of being involved at the very top of the game. We certainly believe Gordon and Mouse have come up trumps for us and ticked all the boxes in securing Cuneo from the sale, what however did surprise us all was the exceptional value we picked him up for, which can only be put down to the current economic climate as Cuneo who finished 3rd in a beginners chase on his last run for previous connections looked a likely winner until being severely hampered on the turn for home by the eventual winner and was given a full clean bill of health by the vets prior to us purchasing him.

Gordon and Mouse for obvious reasons know the Gigginstown horses very well as they have an excellent relationship with Gigginstown House Stud which gives them great insight as to the horses they feel still have not reached their full potential prior going to the sales and this was a horse that was always on their shortlist when the catalogue was printed, and luckily for us we had our hat in the ring prior to the sale as Gordon and Mouse were contacted by numerous new and existing owners in Gordon’s yard to try and secure the horse once they seen they had signed for him at the sale. Cuneo has established himself as a horse capable of running and winning big races on the biggest stages, highlighted by winning a Pertemps qualifier at the High class Leopardstown Christmas Festival which can be viewed from 2.00 on the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgmNH32ODds and then going on to place in the Pertemps final at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival where only for a mistake at the second last followed by a slow jump at the last when in front he may have got the win, the finish of the race can be viewed from 11.00 on the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF0XiOuygaY.

We believe this horse offers exceptional value to those getting involved as he is a horse that has a rating to run in the big value handicap hurdles and at this stage the plans are to get the horse back to the Cheltenham Festival 2021 to have another shot at the race connections felt he left behind him in 2019 and who better to take the task on than Multiple time leading trainer at the festival Gordon Elliott, whilst it is important to remember he will also have the option of going over fences a sphere in which he is still a maiden and will be well up to winning a beginners chase and progressing on from that. Cuneo is versatile ground wise and stays exceptionally well which helps when planning a campaign for him. As mentioned Gordon and Mouse bought Cuneo from the Gigginstown dispersal, he was previously in training with Henry De Bromhead from whom at last years sale Gordon and Mouse purchased Avenir D’Une Vie from the same connections costing £9k and instantly rewarded new connections by winning a €45k chase on his first run under Gordon only 10 weeks after the sale and then coming 2nd in a €100k chase in his next race after that. We are hoping Cuneo who has now dropped to a nice mark can go on to replicate something along the lines of this success.

The change of scenery and the top-class facilities that Gordon has at his disposal gives us every reason to believe Gordon can and will improve Cuneo and get us his owners into the winners enclosure before too long. Cuneo is currently settling in to his new surroundings after arriving at Gordon’s safe and sound from the sales and will be slotting into Gordon’s system in which we will begin his campaign for us in the very near future as he is already fairly fit having raced just a few weeks ago.

Gordon Elliott – ‘He is the type of horse I have done very well with in the past and the plan will be to run in those big handicap hurdles at the top tracks hopefully on the way to Cheltenham. He has the option of mixing it up over fences and hurdles and seems to be a horse that will handle most grounds. He looks in great shape with plenty more to still work on as he looks lightly trained for the season as he is still carrying plenty of condition.’