Cheltenham place is prize at Naas for Carefully Selected

CAREFULLY Selected is out to book his ticket to the Cheltenham Festival when he makes a swift return to action at Naas today.

The Willie Mullinstrained eight-year-old is the ante-post favourite for the National Hunt Chase after impressing on his first two starts over fences this season, most recently dominating his rivals in a Grade Three contest over two and a half miles at Punchestown.

However, updated race conditions announced last summer stated that to qualify for the National Hunt Chase, a horse must have finished in the first four in a chase staged over an extended two miles and seven and a half furlongs or further, which Carefully Selected has not.

With the clock ticking, Mullins has been left with little option but to turn his charge out just a fortnight after his Punchestown triumph in this weekend’s three-mile Grade Three.

Mullins said: ‘He’s in good form and, while he won very well over two and a half miles last time, I think the step up to three miles will suit him well. It isn’t ideal running back so quickly after Punchestown but he needs to be placed to qualify for the National Hunt Chase at

Cheltenham.’

Carefully Selected was not entered for either the RSA Chase or the Marsh Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham earlier this week, meaning the

National Hunt Chase is his only option.

He will have to concede weight to each of his rivals this weekend, which include his stablemate Small Farm, Gordon Elliott’s Elwood and Matthew Smith’s stable star Ronald Pump.

The latter won on his fencing bow at Fairyhouse before finishing a distant second in the Drinmore and being narrowly beaten over hurdles.

The other Grade Three on the card is the Limestone Lad Hurdle, which was won last season by subsequent Champion Hurdle hero Espoir D’Allen. This year’s field is headed by Australian raider Big Blue.