Racing: Michael Cullen tends to sell most of the better horses that pass through his hands but is glad to have kept hold of American Jennie, who has a leading chance in the Ellen Construction Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran Park on Thursday.
Cullen trains a few point-to-pointers from his Wexford yard and buys and sells horses that have included David Pipe's Standin' Obligation, but as luck would have it, he persevered with American Jennie, who has taken valuable prizes at Cork and Limerick as well as fourth in last year's Irish Grand National.
"It is harder to sell fillies, and we ran her a couple of times and realised she was good, so we kept her," he explained.
On her first chasing start since the Irish National, in the Pierse Leopardstown Chase a week and a half ago, the nine-year-old led two from home and plugged on to take sixth in an epic finish behind Point Barrow.
"I'm a little concerned the race at Leopardstown will come a bit quick but she's in good form and we won't know until the race," said Cullen.
"She travelled very well to the second last and Barry (Geraghty) could have really drilled her at the end, but there was no point so in that respect she's not had a hard race, but three miles on heavy ground is never easy.
"A race like this has been the plan all year and we thought this might be an option - there's nothing else for her now. She has a lovely weight, and Paul Carberry rides as Barry can't do 10st 2lb."
Black Apalachi and Sound Witness, seventh and ninth respectively in the Pierse Chase, are among the 16 declared for the three-mile epic won by two subsequent Grand National winners, Hedgehunter and Numbersixvalverde, in the last three years.
There is one British runner, the Ferdy Murphy-trained Kitski, who will attempt to follow up Charlie Brooks' successful raid on the Thyestes in 1997 with Couldnt Be Better.
Celestial Wave attempts to cement her status as one of the most progressive stayers around with success in the Alo Duffin Memorial Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park tomorrow.
Trained by former jockey Adrian Maguire, Celestial Wave has been a model of consistency, never finishing outside the first three in nine starts to date.
Last time out, she successfully stepped up to three miles for the first time in the woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle, handing out a beating to three rivals who oppose again - Strangely Brown (third), Rosaker (fourth) and Emotional Moment (fifth), with the trio at least 12 lengths behind.
"Everything has gone well with her and conditions should suit," said Maguire.
"I was always pretty confident she would get the three miles, although you never know until it has happened. But she's in really good form, and she beat a quality field last time in good style, so I hope she will run well again."
Conor O'Dwyer takes the ride on Celestial Wave for the first time in the Grade Three race. PA