Cheltenham not on the agenda for exciting Gentlemansgame

MOUSE MORRIS insists it’s “very unlikely” that Gentlemansgame will head to next month’s Cheltenham Festival as he instead prioritises the “long-term” development of his exciting five-year-old.

Gentlemansgame ran a cracker to finish a five-length second behind the impressive Gaillard Du Mesnil in the Grade One Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday before being slashed for Albert Bartlett Hurdle success at the Festival.

The talented grey is as short as 7/1 for the Grade One prize, but Morris intends to sidestep the Cotswolds given his lack of experience under Rules and he is eyeing spring festivals at Fairyhouse and Punchestown instead of going across the Irish Sea.

The Robcour-owned gelding sluiced up on debut in a maiden hurdle at Cork in January before taking the step up to Grade One in his stride last weekend, but the Tipperary trainer intends to play a patient game with him, given Cheltenham’s demands and its effects on younger horses.

“I was very happy with him. It was a massive step up. It was 250 miles from Mallow to Leopardstown and that was what the jump-up in class was like. He answered all the questions and we know where we’re going now,” the Fethard handler said.

“He’s very unlikely to go to Cheltenham now, it’s more for the long-term. He’s only had the two runs over hurdles, he’s only had two runs full stop and he should come on race-wise in terms of experience. It’s not on the agenda with him at the minute.

“There’s two nice races at Fairyhouse and Punchestown and they’re nothing to be sneezed at. The way it is at the minute you’d want to be going to Cheltenham thinking that you’re going to win, especially with those long-distance races for young horses because they take a lot out of them.

“With all the hassle between Brexit and Covid, I’ve only a couple of horses, but I’d hate to think what it’s like for the likes of Gordon (Elliott) and Willie (Mullins).”

Get My Drift, owned by JP McManus and a general 40/1 chance for the Supreme, is another unlikely to make the trip despite impressing over Christmas in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle, but Sam’s Profile is certain to tackle the Stayers’ Hurdle.

The Gold Cup-winning trainer has never hidden the esteem which he holds the seven-year-old in and he had little hesitation in proclaiming him “the toughest horse I ever trained” having overcome a cracked rib (which he ran with over fences in November) to land the Grade Two Galmoy Hurdle last month.

“He’s on cue at the minute anyway,” Morris said of the 20/1 chance. “It was a nice return. He’s been through a lot the poor divil, he’s the toughest horse I’ve ever trained and he’s been through a lot that we didn’t know about.

“It got too late to go jumping fences with him and the obvious thing to do was to go back over hurdles for this year anyway. He’ll go chasing again but just not now.”