TOWNEND BOOST AS SCAN REVEALS NO ANKLE BREAK
AN MRI scan will determine the extent of the foot injury sustained by Paul Townend when Killutagh Vic crashed at the final fence in Sunday’s Unibet Irish Gold Cup.
Jockey Townend underwent x-rays in St. Vincent’s Hospital on Sunday night and was understandably relieved to hear that no fracture was evident.
IHRB Medical Officer Adrian Mcgoldrick confirmed that the x-rays were “perfectly clear” but explained that an MRI scan would be required to determine how much ligament damage has been sustained by Townend’s ankle.
The picture should become clearer tomorrow as Townend (right) - Ruby Walsh’s understudy at Closutton - awaits confirmation of when he can resume race riding.
Another member of the Willie Mullins riding team, Danny Mullins, hopes to return to action this weekend, having been sidelined by a wrist injury since New Year’s Day.
Desperately unlucky to fall at the last in Sunday’s Unibet Irish Gold Cup, won by Edwulf, Killultagh Vic was raised 10lb. for his troubles by the handicapper and now boasts a chase rating of 163.
That leaves him just 1lb. below Sunday’s victor Edwulf, which has received a 12lb. hike, to a new mark of 164.
The Mullins-trained Min, convincing winner of the Coral Dublin Chase, has gone up 7lb. to 167 and has emerged as a realistic contender for Cheltenham’s Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Another Closutton inmate Total Recall, now unbeaten in three starts since joining Mullins, is the biggest mover of the week in the rating lists following his victory in the three-mile William Fry Handicap Hurdle on Sunday.
The Ladbrokes Trophy winner has gone up a whopping 20lb. to a new hurdle mark of 145, still 11lb. below his current chase mark.
Total Recall is being trained for the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree and will have his prep run in the Bobbyjo at Fairyhouse on February 24.
In the novice chasing ranks, Arkle winner Footpad was raised 2lb. to 162, 4lb. above his immediate victim Petit Mouchoir, given an initial chase mark of 158.
Supasundae, which turned over Faugheen in Saturday’s BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle and remains a Stayers Hurdle contender for Cheltenham, is up 4lb. to a new rating of 163 while the handicapper, significantly dropped Faugheen 5lb. to a mark of 167.
Among the handicappers, Off You Go, winner of the Coral.ie Handicap Hurdle for JP Mcmanus and Charles Byrnes, is up 10lb. to 133.
And, in the juvenile ranks, Mr. Adjudicator, winner of the Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle, has been allocated a mark of 142, 1lb. below Gavin Cromwell’s four-time winner Espor D’allen, which flopped badly, having raced freely, in Sunday’s race.
Meanwhile, the Willie Mullinstrained Bleu Et Rouge is the only Irish hopeful in a list of 27 acceptors for the £155,000 Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday.
Set to carry 11-10, just 2lb. below top-weight High Bridge, Bleu Et Rouge was last seen when finishing fourth to Olly Murphy’s Hunters Call in the valuable Racing Welfare Handicap Hurdle at Ascot two days before Christmas.