Wednesday 26 January 2011

Flat Out to miss Cheltenham with leg injury


Willie Mullins has confirmed that due to leg injury Flat Out will miss out on the sidelines for the remainder of the season.

Despite falling in the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday, the six-year-old was still considered to be one of the leading contenders for the Irish Independent Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Mullins told the Irish Times: "He has a little chip fracture on a hind leg and is out for the season."

A routine veterinary inspection after his fall down confirms that he had sustained a hind leg injury when unseating Emmett Mullins at the second last fence.

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Gollings Seeking for a Hero

In order to weigh up his Festival options,Steve Gollings is thinking to raise up local Hero into Grade Two company at Cheltenham later this month.

"The plan is to give him an entry in the Finesse Hurdle at Cheltenham a week on Saturday. How he runs there will hopefully help us decide between the Fred Winter and the Triumph Hurdle," the trainer said.

"He came out of Doncaster absolutely A1, he just hasn't really had a proper test yet. We know he's got a serious engine, we just need to know how serious.

"We were hoping there might be something that would want to go off in front and set a good pace, but that didn't happen so we didn't really learn much except that he's still progressing and is still a bit green really.

"There's not really a lot of time between now and the Festival in real terms and you need to know what kind of horse you've got."

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Nable Prince could be collapsed for Cheltanham Festival

Nable Prince could be collapsed their location for his Cheltanham Festival prep run after his fine effort in the Bord na Mona With Nature Novice Chase.

Eventually finished the Paul Nolan trained which began before seven year with a flourish to take next place, five lengths behind the winner Realt Dubh.

At Punchestown successful on his chasing debut in October, Noble Prince has two Grade One options return at Leopardstown - the Frank Ward Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase and the Dr P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase - before Cheltenham, although Nolan may aim lower at now.

Nolan said, "We did always think he wants more of a trip, but with the ground being heavy we were thrilled with him over the two miles. He definitely got tapped for toe down the back and he stayed on really well to pass three or four horses in the straight.

He was galloping all the way to the line - it looks as though stepping him up in trip is the way to go. He's in the Arkle at Leopardstown later in the month, but we'll have the Moriarty more in mind on Hennessy day there.

But with the ground being as heavy as it is we might give him a lesser option instead of that with a view to going to Cheltenham and the better ground. He'd appreciate the ground not being as heavy as it is. We might go for a little contest as a prep to Cheltenham instead of taking on the better horses in the Grade Ones.

Barry (Geraghty) said the last day the further he went the better he was going. He was tapped for toe so hopefully a step up in trip will suit. I suppose the new two-and-a-half-miler (the Jewson Novices' Chase) looks to be the ideal race for him."

Saturday 8 January 2011

Cheltenham Festival is Moving Ahead!

Both Exeter and Wincanton Racecourses’ forthcoming Cheltenham Festival Preview evenings will be sponsored by PADDY Power.

On Thursday, February 24,The Exeter event will take place and on Thursday, March 3,it will held again at Wincanton.

On the panel at Exeter,Paddy Power will joined by David Pipe, Paul Nicholls, Nick Williams, Andrew King and Philip Hobbs with Zoe Bird hosting the evening.

At Wincanton, Paul Nicholls, Joe Tizzard, Tom Scudamore and Channel 4 Racing's 'The Female' Tanya Stevenson will join the debate with Alice Plunkett hosting.

Group director of operations, John Baker, said: “We are delighted to welcome Paddy Power to Exeter and Wincanton’s preview evenings.

“The evenings are a popular highlight on our racing calendars and having secured racing’s finest to preview the Cheltenham Festival we are sure everyone who comes will gain a valuable insight into the main contenders.”

Monday 3 January 2011

Cheltenham Festival with Keys

In Cheltenham festival Keys could be the first runner for Derby winning instructor Welsh Roger Charlton after maintaining his unbeaten record on Saturday.

The four year old is a leading fancy for the Champion Bumper after a hat-trick with a short-head win over Cinders And Ashes at Cheltenham. Charlton said, “It doesn’t get much more exciting than a short head after an inquiry and with my first runner at the home of jumps racing”.