Racing News round-upRoss Geraghty will get the chance to maintain his 100 per cent record aboard Cloudy Bays in Sunday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
The 26-year-old brother of Barry, who will be on Le Coudray in the big race, has ridden Cloudy Bays to win his last two starts in Navan's Troytown Chase and the Leopardstown Chase over Sunday's course and distance.
Geraghty had already tasted big-race success on The Bunny Boiler who won the 2002 Irish Grand National but Cloudy Bays represents a big opportunity for the 3lb claimer in a championship race.
Explaining his decision not to engage a rider with a more proven big-race profile, trainer Charles Byrnes said yesterday: "It's not that long ago I had problems getting anybody to ride the horse because he had a bit of a reputation in the weighroom. Our horse had problems getting round early on but the two times Ross has ridden him, the horse has bolted in. I'm going to stay loyal to him."
Those last two successes have resulted in Cloudy Bays' rating shooting up to 152, a full 34lb higher than when he won the Troytown by 25 lengths. The horse was upped 17lb for his defeat of Be My Belle last time.
Despite the rate of progress, however, Byrnes is pessimistic about his horse's chances against the likes of Beef Or Salmon and Harbour Pilot. "He is only a seven-year-old and I think it's fairly doubtful he is up to this yet. I think the ground is also very much against him but having said all that he will definitely run on Sunday," he said.
The bookmakers are understandably treating Cloudy Bays with caution as Byrnes made a big impression on the layers with Dromlease Express and Cloudy Bays at the start of January. Cashmans make the Byrnes horse a 6 to 1 shot but the trainer said: "I won't be having a penny on him."
Noel Meade has confirmed that Harbour Pilot is on course for a first start over fences since finishing third to Best Mate in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Harbour Pilot will be ridden by Paul Carberry and is one of those runners that will relish every drop of rain that is currently falling.
Leopardstown had 5mms of rain on Monday night but were expecting some heavy rain before this morning ahead of the weather picking up again. "We're still calling it soft and I think the wind makes things look worse than they actually are," said the track's racing manager Tom Burke who confirmed that the top English novice Lord Sam will not be travelling for a clash with Pizarro in the PJ Moriarty Chase.
The wet spell has already claimed the two steeplechase races scheduled for Clonmel tomorrow. The chase course was declared unraceable yesterday and a hurdle race will be divided to make a six-race card.
With Beef Or Salmon not committed to Sunday's big race, and facing a vital gallop this morning, Cashmans make Harbour Pilot an 11 to 4 outright favourite to win the Hennessy. Beef Or Salmon remains at 4 to 5 "with a run". The drifter in the race yesterday was the triple winner Florida Pearl who is now out to 10 to 1.
Noel Meade has a formidable three-strong entry for the Deloitte Novice Hurdle including Watson Lake who was such an impressive winner at the AIG fixture. However, early signs indicate that the most likely runner from the Meade camp could be Mark The Man who disappointed at Christmas when so many of the stable were hit by illness.
Nevertheless Cashmans maintained their stance yesterday of quoting the Meade stable at 7 to 4 to win the Deloitte, one of the main trials for Cheltenham's SunAlliance Hurdle. Next best in the market at 2 to 1 is Mariah Rollins. The Cork firm has taken out the Willie Mullins-trained pair Sadlers Wings and Arch Stanton from their ante-post lists.
Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh were in good form at Taunton yesterday, completing a treble. Blue Americo (15 to 2) landed the first division of the novices' hurdle, the half-brother to Cheltenham God Cup winner Imperial Call settling better than in previous starts and coming home five lengths clear of Members Only.
Perange then returned to form to complete the double in the handicap chase. Quid Pro Quo completed the treble with a convincing victory in the NH flat race.
