Back In Front in race against time

RACING: Edward O'Grady admitted to being "hugely upset" at the problems that threaten to stop Back In Front from running in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

Last year's Supreme Novices Hurdle winner, who had been as low as 8 to 1 for next month's championship, is lame on his near-fore leg and is running out of recovery time.

"He would have to be coming around the corner by the end of the week in order to be ready in time," said O'Grady yesterday.

"He worked well in a racecourse gallop last Wednesday and was sound on Thursday. But he was not 100 per cent sound when he was pulled up on Friday and we still have not found out why.

"We have had vets, farriers and chiropractors in and we still don't know why he is lame. His participation at Cheltenham has to be in the balance," he added.

O'Grady has trained 17 festival winners at Cheltenham but has never won the Champion Hurdle or the Gold Cup.

"I am hugely upset. I have never won the Champion Hurdle and this horse was a genuine contender for what looks a very open renewal," he said.

It is only weeks since Back In Front was hit with a different problem when an irregular heart beat resulted in him visiting the Veterinary hospital at UCD. His trainer will be hoping that the horse can recover from his latest crisis as well.

O'Grady's problems, however, could work out in Jessica Harrington's favour as Barry Geraghty could now be free to team up with Spirit Leader in the Champion Hurdle.

Geraghty committed himself to Back In Front at the start of the season but remains Harrington's first choice to ride the County Hurdle and Tote Gold Trophy winner. The season's leading rider will, however, be on the O'Grady-trained Pizarro when that horse runs for the third year in a row at the festival in the SunAlliance Chase.

The 2002 Champion Bumper winner won the Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown earlier in the month and O'Grady said yesterday: "The trip then was as short as he wants and he should improve for the step up to three miles. He is our great white hope for the festival."

O'Grady added: "He likes Cheltenham and is unlucky not to be two from two there. History proves it's a great place for horses for courses and I'm very hopeful."

The O'Grady festival team could also include the novice hurdler John Oliver.