Leopardstown will host its annual pre-festival gallops after racing on Sunday and with the cold snap forecast to continue the authorities are advising trainers of Cheltenham horses that their best bet for a workout is on Sunday evening.
The trend has been growing in recent years for trainers to use Leopardstown on non-race days but that may not be possible this time. "The track can be used on Sunday after racing and on Monday morning but with the forecast looking like it will be cold into next week we are advising people to come on Sunday. With the ground cut up after the races themselves, an overnight frost might make the ground unsuitable to work on," said Leopardstown's racing manager Tom Burke yesterday.
In the past such stars as Florida Pearl and Limestone Lad have used the gallops in their preparation for Cheltenham and already a number of trainers have signalled their intention to use the track. They include Willie Mullins who hasn't ruled out sending Florida Pearl back for another pre-festival warm up at the Co Dublin course. Crucially though, this time the opportunity to use Leopardstown comes a week earlier than usual.
"The gallops can be very useful, especially for young horses, because it gives them an easy away day," Mullins said yesterday. "It's a bit earlier this year but I would imagine I'll take a few, maybe even Florida Pearl. But there are two meetings on Sunday and with lorries and staff it will be tough going." Horses will be allowed work on the flat or over fences at Leopardstown, an exercise that has proved useful in the past for some of the star names of Irish racing to get their eye in.
Willie Mullins confirmed yesterday that Richard Johnson will ride Florida Pearl in the Gold Cup and that the top English rider will be on one of his strong squad for the Wetherbys Champion Bumper. That squad could number as many as six as Mullins goes in search of a fifth success in the race.
Riding arrangements are less certain for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle outsider Golden Cross whose regular rider Adrian Lane is on the sidelines through injury. Michael Halford, trainer of the shock 66 to 1 Grade One winner Christmas winner, said yesterday: "Nothing has been decided and a lot will depend on who is available. I suppose Paul Carberry or Timmy Murphy would be in the running but I will leave it to Ciaran O'Toole (agent) in the meantime."
No decision has been taken yet on whether or not Michael Kinane will be on board Blazing Liss in the Champion Bumper. Along with Fran Berry on the ante-post favourite Martinstown, Kinane's presence would bring a significant input from flat racing into the Grade One prize.
One top flat jockey who is very unlikely to be at Cheltenham, however, is Pat Smullen who rode Govamix to be best of the Irish in the race last year. "That was always an ambition of mine, to ride at Cheltenham, but this time neither Frances (Crowley) nor Dermot (Weld) have one and I wouldn't ride one I didn't know."
