GOING HOLL NINE YARDS

BY PETER O’HEHIR RETURNING after a 791-day break, Ferny Hollow will be the star attraction in the Grade 3 Newlands Chase, twin-feature at Naas tomorrow.

Trained for Cheveley Park Stud by Willie Mullins, the nine-yearold, beaten only twice in seven starts under rules, has been plagued by injury but remains a high-class prospect and, suited by tomorrow’s race conditions, will be expected to get his career back on track – although probably not an appealing betting proposition.

A point winner, Ferny Hollow was beaten in his first two bumpers, before opening his account at this meeting in 2020 and following-up by taking the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at Cheltenham, outpointing stable-companion Appreciate It.

Injury determined that he ran only once over hurdles, when beating Bob Olinger at Gowran Park in November 2020.

And he didn’t return to action for over a year, until making a successful chase debut at

Punchestown, a victory which prefaced his defeat of Riviere D’etel in the Grade 1 Racing Post Novice Chase at Leopardstown’s 2021 Christmas meeting.

And we haven’t seen Ferny Hollow since, although he was a late withdrawal from the Fortria at Navan in November ’22.

“He’s entered at Naas on Sunday and hopefully he’ll run,” said Mullins, whose charge holds a Queen Mother Champion Chase engagement.

“He was ready to run last weekend in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran, but we had Saint Sam for that and he also gets in here without a penalty which is nice.

“He seems in good form so hopefully he can stay right. We’re very happy with him.”

Ferny is in reported in good fettle and, if close to his best, he might be capable of taking advantage of the 9lb he receives from the Gordon Elliott-trained Ash Tree Meadow (below, left), winner of the Galway Plate off 145 last summer and off the track since winning a two-horse Grade 2 at Down Royal in early November.

Elliott said: “Ash Tree Meadow was given a break after he won at Down Royal and that was always the plan as he is a horse who has a liking for better ground.

“It was hard to read too much into Down Royal as it was a two-runner race, but the horse won a Galway Plate for us and owes us nothing and we’ll let him have a rattle at some big races during the spring.

“He’s in a couple of races at Cheltenham and he is in the Grand National at Aintree and we’ll stick him in the Irish Grand National as well so he won’t be short of options and we’re looking forward to getting him back out on Sunday at Naas.”

Elliott also runs Epson Du Houx (left, maroon silks) and added: “Epson Du Houx also had a little break. He is a course and distance winner around Naas and hopefully going back there can spark him up again.

“He’s fresh and well.”