METIER STRIKE
Fry bullish about Supreme
HARRY FRY last night spoke of his growing confidence in major Cheltenham Festival contender Metier.
Formerly trained in Ireland, the horse has had a two-month break since taking his winning sequence to three in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown.
Fry said the five-year-old had enjoyed an encouraging gallop at Wincanton racecourse last week.
And the trainer anticipates ground conditions will also be suitable for his stable star in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race at the Festival on March 16.
Fry said: “He’s our leading light and he went very well on Thursday in the gallop. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but it was just what I hoped to see.
“The forecast is for unsettled weather in the middle of next week and that should hopefully help us see a combination of good to soft and soft – that would be perfect for him.”
Of his three other intended runners at Cheltenham, Fry is considering a crack at the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle with If The Cap Fits – who has been chasing this season.
He added: “I’m leaning back over hurdles with him.
“He ran well behind Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle last year and we know he’s a 160-plus horse over hurdles. That would put him in with an each way squeak.”
Veteran Unowhatimeanharry will take his towards going place in the Pertemps Final as a teenager, while Whitehotchillifili is Fry’s final Festival contender in the Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle.
Meanwhile, Amy Murphy is planning a spring campaign for stable star Kalashnikov, although his participation in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham looks less likely than a trip to Aintree next month. The former
Betfair Hurdle and Grade One winner was third in the Denman Chase at Newbury two weeks ago.
Murphy said: “We were delighted and he definitely stayed the three miles. We’ve obviously been riding him a little bit patiently. We’re happy to wait for Aintree but he’ll stay in the Ryanair for now just in case.
“It’ll be a last-minute decision.”