Cloudy Dream on comeback trail

DONALD McCAIN reports Cloudy Dream is progressing on the road back to the racecourse after being sidelined for 13 months.

The nine-year-old has been absent since he sustained an injury when finishing third to Frodon in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree in October 2018, on what was his first start after joining McCain from Ruth Jefferson’s yard.

Cloudy Dream has been recuperating at his owner Trevor Hemmings’ stud in Lancashire, and is now back cantering. McCain said: “I’m in touch with Mick Meagher (racing manager) at Trevor Hemmings’s place.

“He’s still there and is being ridden every day.

“It’s got to be decided how soon he comes back into training. Obviously the spring is more important than the autumn. We’ll just see, but he picked up that knock in the Old Roan last year, and it just took time to settle.

“I know he’s cantering every day. Mick knows the horse better than me – and I’ll just leave it to them, and they will decide the best way forward.”

Stablemate Navajo Pass has more immediate engagements and may head to Newcastle on Saturday week for the next stage of his education, after making a winning jumps debut at Bangor this month.

McCain is considering the ‘Introductory’ Hurdle on Fighting Fifth day at Gosforth Park for the three-year-old, who switched codes after five races on the Flat yielded one victory and three placed efforts.

The Cheshire trainer said: “He’s a nice horse. It’s been the plan since we bought him to go juvenile hurdling.

“We bought him as a yearling, so it’s the first step down the road.

“He’ll have an entry at Newcastle next weekend in that introductory race in case we want to go again quickly.

“He seems fine and he didn’t have much of a race the other day, so there’s a chance he might head up there, but we’ve got another juvenile that will have an entry there as well – so we’ll just have to see.”

That other juvenile is Goobinator, who got off the mark on the Flat at Southwell recently on his third start and has yet to run over hurdles. McCain added: “He won his maiden the other day at Southwell – another one of (owner) Mr (Tim) Leslie’s – so both will have entries up there.”

■ Set Piece returned to winning ways in a thrilling finish to the British Stallion Studs EBF Hyde Stakes at Kempton.

The Listed event looked sure to go the way of 5-6 favourite Khuzaam, who was quickly into his stride and at the head of affairs under Jim Crowley, holding a clear advantage with a furlong to travel.

But James Doyle had been getting to work on Hugo Palmer’s Set Piece from two and a half furlongs out and he fairly rattled home to grab the Roger Variantrained market leader on the line, scoring by a short head at 16-1.

■ Leading Cheltenham Festival fancy Gypsy Island has been ruled out for the season after suffering injury.

An impressive winner on her bumper debut at Ballinrobe in August of last year, the JP McManus-owned five-year-old was ante-post favourite for the mares’ novices’ hurdle in March, but she is now set for a spell on the sidelines.

Fahey said: “Unfortunately she’s suffered a small fracture in a hind leg and rather than rush her back, we’ve decided to give the year off.

“She was due to run next week and it’s sickening for everyone in the yard and everyone involved.

“The good thing is she’s only five and hopefully she’ll make a full recovery.”

It’s got to be decided how soon he comes back into training.

Donald McCain takes cautious approach over Cloudy Dream’s return from injury.