Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Prestigious Trials Day falls victim to weather
TODAY’S highly-regarded Festival Trials Day meeting at Cheltenham has had to be called off due to a waterlogged course.
Officials had made interested parties aware the meeting was in the balance due to midweek rainfall, which exceeded expectations, and an inspection had been called for 2pm yesterday.
An early update yesterday suggested that it was touch-andgo following another wet night in the Cotswolds, but with standing water in places, some fences already set to be omitted and not enough space to redirect runners around the waterlogged patches, the meeting was called off in advance of the planned inspection.
Cheltenham clerk of the course Simon Claisse revealed: “We walked the course with the BHA senior inspector of courses, who confirmed our view that – having had the additional 3mm of rain in the morning – there were areas of the course that were waterlogged to such an extent that they were not raceable and there weren’t ways around them, regrettably.
“We have a sense that even without the prospect of further rainfall, we’d be struggling (to be raceable).
“It is, of course, a huge disappointment for us and everyone within racing. Our business is about staging horseracing and sadly this is the second event we’ve lost within a month.”
The Jockey Club had already confirmed in talks with the BHA about relocating races in advance of a potential abandonment. The
ALAN King has had his eye on the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster for the improving Canelo ever since his Rowland Meyrick success on Boxing Day.
The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old has always been highly regarded at Barbury Castle Stables, and is now delivering on that promise.
A win at Aintree was followed by a runner-up spot to Cap Du Nord at Newbury, before he beat Snow Leopardess over Christmas.
“He’s done little wrong this year and has been progressive since we put the headgear (cheekpieces) on him,” said King. “He’s improved race for race, and this looked the logical place to go after his win in the Rowland Meyrick.
“That might have been a decent race – he beat the right horse (Snow Leopardess), who had won at Haydock before.
“He’s on 148 now, he travels very well through his races but might not do a whole lot when he hits the front. I’m hoping there’s a bit more to come.
“This will be another test, but it looked the obvious place to come after Wetherby.”
Aye Right bids to gain due reward on Saturday for a series of consistent efforts.
Trained in the Borders by Harriet Graham, the eightyear-old was second over an inadequate two miles and a furlong first time out this season to subsequent Old Roan winner Nuts Well.
He was then a very creditable third to Cyrname in the Charlie Hall Chase before posting arguably a career-best effort when second in the Ladbrokes Trophy to Cloth Cap.
Since then, Aye Right has run in a jumpers’ bumper at Newcastle – where he showed up well for a long way before finishing sixth – but Graham does not want the ground to get any softer.
She said: “We’ve been hit hard by the weather up here – we’ve only just got rid of the snow, but James Armstrong at Newcastle has been helpful, (so Aye Right) galloped there and ran in a jumpers’ bumper.
“He’s a very consistent horse and he’s easy to train. He’s always jig-jogging and loves to go out. We sometimes feel we do too much with him, but Callum (Bewley) said he couldn’t pull him up the other day – he nearly went round again. We’ll not run if it gets heavy, but the forecast is much more positive now. Earlier in the week, I didn’t think we’d be running. In an ideal world I’d have liked it good to soft – and another three furlongs.”
Paul Nicholls runs Give Me A Copper, who is part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He hasn’t been the easiest to train, but made a very pleasing return from a year off when keeping on stoutly to run Rocky’s Treasure close at this track last month,” Nicholls said.