TRANQUIL SEA will line up over two miles at Naas this Sunday but next month’s Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham remains the Edward O’Grady-trained star’s festival target. The Paddy Power Gold Cup winner also holds a Cheltenham entry in the Queen Mother Champion Chase over the minimum trip but this weekend’s assignment is still a prep for the Ryanair.
Tranquil Sea is one of 10 entries for the Grade Two Paddy Power Poker Chase on Sunday and among his possible opposition is the Willie Mullins-trained pair, Scotsirish and Golden Silver, along with the dual-Grade One winner, Mansony.
“We made our choice to go for this race as a prep for the Ryanair some time ago and that remains the case,” O’Grady said yesterday.
This weekend will be an important one for the O’Grady team as they build up towards Cheltenham and even though Alaivan has been given an entry in Sunday’s Grade Two novice hurdle, Saturday’s Winning Fair Hurdle at Fairyhouse is Alaivan’s first option.
The Naas race has seen some of the best of Ireland’s four-year-old talent such as Secant Star and Pittoni also given entries but O’Grady said yesterday: “It is purely a precautionary entry for Alaivan. The weather is so unpredictable that I just want to keep my options open. All being well he goes to Fairyhouse.”
Despite getting turned over by Shakervilz in Sunday’s Flyingbolt Chase at Navan, Osana is still on course to run in the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham but another O’Grady-trained horse, Catch Me, is out of the festival. “He is still lame and he won’t be going to Cheltenham,” the Co Tipperary trainer said of his good novice who was 25 to 1 in betting for the RSA Chase.
Last year the Grade Two novice hurdle at Naas threw up the subsequent Supreme winner Go Native. Among the 18 entries for it this time are Gordon Elliott’s Grey Soldier and the highly-rated Willie Mullins pair, Blackstairmountain and Morning Supreme.
