Festival fever mounts on and off the track
March 2nd, 2010 by Gary O BrienThe presence of Mikael D’Haguenet at Sunday’s traditional Leopardstown gathering of Cheltenham hopefuls gave what is always an interesting occasion an extra bit of edge, but really we are none the wiser about whether the mighty French-bred is truly ready for an audacious attempt at claiming one of the major novice chase events on his seasonal bow. Partnered by Ruby Walsh in a spin over ten fences with Jayo, J’y Vole – who did her Ryanair Chase prospects no harm – and Aintree hope Irish Invader, he jumped well in the main and although getting in close to a couple he was clever enough to never look in any real bother.
Owner Rich Ricci, one of the sport’s great enthusiasts, is a banker by trade and openly admitted that the risk-taker in him would lean towards letting his star make the trip. However the engaging American also spoke of being conscious of the fear of jeopardising future Gold Cup bids, and as such he will take the valuable counsel of Walsh and trainer Willie Mullins on board before a final call is made on this most delicate of matters. It would therefore be no surprise if it is felt more prudent to delay “Mikael”’s eagerly-awaited reappearance, and if that scenario does indeed materialise perhaps an easier starting point in an ordinary beginners chase followed by another trip to Punchestown could be on the cards.
______________________________________________________________________________
It’s only two weeks now until the biggest week in the racing calendar, and Cheltenham Festival preview season is once again in full swing. I must admit that with the country slipping further into recession over the past twelve months it would have been no great surprise to see interest in these events nosedive, but it appears nothing could be further from the truth ; if anything there are more than ever this year, spread across the length and breadth of the country, many of them featuring high-profile names from cross-channel.
I already have two under my belt, including a particularly raucous affair after racing at Leopardstown which eventually drew to a close just before midnight. Several members of the crowd appeared a touch the worse for wear after presumably spending the entire day at the Dublin track, and one gentleman in particular had a real bee in his bonnet regarding War Of Attrition’s reported unlikely participation in the Grand National. (Yes I know it’s a Cheltenham preview, but sometimes it’s impossible not to digress). With no Mouse Morris to vent his ire upon, the punter in question focussed his attention on the former Gold Cup winner’s regular rider Davy Russell and when not even the latter’s revelation that he would try to persuade the camp to reconsider their decision could placate him it was finally time to sound the bell for the end of the round.
Further trips to the likes of Wicklow (tonight), Limerick (Thursday), Belfast (next Monday) and Omagh lie ahead before the circuit finally winds down in my home town of Malahide on Thursday week, and I will be very grateful for the opportunity of giving the batteries a much-needed recharging prior to the annual pilgrimage to the Cotswolds.
SIGN UP FOR €200 FREE BET TODAY WITH BET365
Categories: Horse racing
Comments (0)