RICH PICKINGS
Late call on Gold for Road
NOEL MEADE is keen for Road To Riches to have another shot at Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham but admits the final decision rests with the owners, Gigginstown House.
Road To Riches was third last year to Coneygree and Djakadam, and is sure to run a big race again, especially if the ground comes up good.
‘I’d prefer it if he ran in the Gold Cup, but I don’t own the horse, Michael [O’Leary] does and he has quite a few horses in the race so he will be the one who makes the final call,’ said Meade yesterday.
‘The main thing as far as I’m concerned is getting him in as good a shape as I can for Cheltenham.’
Road To Riches is also engaged in the Ryanair Chase, and with Gigginstown holding a strong hand in the Gold Cup, it points to a late call.
Squouateur, trained by Gordon Elliott, was a major mover in the market for the Martin Pipe Hurdle after the weights were released yesterday.
Squouateur was clipped from 12/1 to 8/1 favourite after receiving 141, just 4lbs in advance of his Irish rating.
With claimer Jack Kennedy able to take off 5lbs, a weight of 11st 1lb will encourage Elliott, who has twice saddled the runner-up in the race named in honour of his former boss.
The Weatherbys Champion Bumper has attracted 32 entries, including 14 trained in Ireland. Willie Mullins, who has won the race eight times since it was introduced in 1992 has a cluster of leading fancies in Augusta Kate, Castello Sforza and Battleford.
The Irish champion has also entered Augustin, Avenir D’Une Vie, Bacardys, Blow By Blow, Good Thyne Tara, Turcagur and Very Much So.
Flat maestro Aidan O’Brien has entered his dual bumper winner Aspen Colorado while other Irish trainers with entries are Dermot Weld (First Figaro), Jessica Harrington (New To This Town) and Tom Hogan (Winsome Bucks).
Meanwhile, Hurricane Fly has topped a Racing Post poll to find the ‘People’s Champ’ among hurdlers. The Fly, winner of 22 Grade Ones and two Champion Hurdles, scooped 42 per cent of the vote, finishing ahead of Istabraq, Faugheen and Rooster Booster.
Jockey Gavin Faulkner was yesterday banned for two years by the Turf Club for testing positive at the Curragh last August. Faulkner was unable to attend his hearing at the Curragh yesterday.
Amateur jockey Mikey O’Connor was handed down a three-month ban after Bisoprolol, a beta-blocker used to control heart rate, was found in a urine sample taken at Punchestown last November.
O’Connor apologised for not declaring the use of the betablockers when he reapplied for his license as he was unaware that he had to.
The Turf Club accepted that ‘the positive test result arose from medication which had been prescribed for Mr O’Connor and not for any other reason.’
TODAY’S meeting at Clonmel has been cancelled due to a waterlogged track. And yesterday’s meeting at Downpatrick was also called off after snow and rain hit the course.