RACING: Solerina's absence let Rosaker in for a simple success at Navan yesterday but Noel Meade had no hesitation in committing the winner to a clash with the star names at Cheltenham.
"He goes for the Stayers'. Baracouda looks a certainty and Iris's Gift must have a good chance too, but you can't win if you don't run and there is plenty of place money there," Meade said.
With both Solerina and her stable companion Florida Coast not running, Rosker was sent off a 1 to 5 favourite and despite sweating up beforehand there was never a doubt about him landing the odds.
Ladbrokes rate Rosaker's festival odds at 20 to 1 with Solerina remaining the shortest-priced Irish hope for the big race.
The James Bowe-trained mare coughed on Saturday morning and will be on antibiotics until the end of the week but remains on track for Cheltenham.
Bowe's son Michael said yesterday: "The deciding factor against running was when she started running a temperature. We don't want to do anything to jeopardise going to Cheltenham and if we had run there was a danger of things going seriously wrong."
If Rosaker was straight-forward, then Satco Express put his followers through the wringer before finally winning the Ten Up Chase. The Dusty Sheehy-trained novice made a bad mistake at the fourth last which looked to have ruined his chance.
However, with the leaders getting very tired, Shay Barry galvanised Satco Express for a final effort that got him up by a length from Lord Who. "My heart was in my mouth but this horse is never beat," admitted Sheehy who will aim the winner at the Irish National. "We won't run much before that in case of penalties."
Forty Licks is too old to run in the Cheltenham bumper but proved his quality when completing a hat-trick under 12-7 for rider JP Magnier.
After his length defeat of Homer Wells, Edward O'Grady said: "He is as nice a horse as we've seen for a long time. Sadly he is too old for the bumper but he is very good."
Ruby Walsh cajoled True Blue Victory to a smooth defeat of Jim in the Flyingbolt Chase, pouncing late to expose the favourite's lack of finishing kick.
Noel Meade and Paul Carberry added to Rosaker's earlier triumph when Sir Oj wore down Supreme Rebel before the last and then survived an error in the maiden hurdle.
It might be Monday but the reappearance of the big Cheltenham hope Sadlers Wings brings some importance to today's postponed Navan card. The former Stakes winner on the flat is a 12 to 1 third favourite with Paddy Power for the SunAlliance Hurdle and is also 12 to 1 for the shorter Supreme Novices' at the festival.
The distance of today's conditons hurdle is a factor as Sadlers Wings drops back to two miles after being so impressive on his only hurdles start to date over two and a half in early December.
That resulted in a seven-length defeat of Dizzy's Dream that saw Ruby Walsh motionless and Willie Mullins pointing to the SunAlliance as a possible target.
Explaining his absence since, Mullins said yesterday: "He was a very sick horse around Christmas and it took him much longer than the others to come back. He showed a good aptitude for hurling at Punchestown but he does need more experience."
A back to his best Zum See would present Sadlers Wings with a serious challenge.
