Joncol to restart over two-mile trip

JONCOL MAY be one of Ireland’s main hopes for Gold Cup glory at Cheltenham in March but the dual-Grade One winner will get his campaign off to a start over just two miles at Navan next month.

Trainer Paul Nolan is targeting the Fortria Chase (November 7th) for Joncol’s comeback and that will probably mean a clash with the reigning champion two-mile chaser Big Zeb.

What Nolan really wants before then is a break in the weather but he is not concerned about a shorter trip for the giant gelding who won last year’s Irish Hennessy and the John Durkan Chase.

“He ran very well at Naas first time out last season over two miles against Tranquil Sea. He’s not short of pace,” the Co Wexford-based trainer said yesterday.

“But we want rain with Joncol. We’re looking to start him off at two miles and hopefully that will lead us on to the John Durkan over two and a half. Hopefully that will lead us on to the Lexus over Christmas and after that the races pick themselves,” Nolan added.

Joncol is currently as low as 20 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Cheltenham Gold Cup having missed out on last season’s festival.

Nolan is also waiting on a break in the weather for his Grade One-winning hurdler Shinrock Paddy who was pulled up at Cheltenham in March on his last start. “Everything is okay with Shinrock but he is a horse that appreciates a good cut in the ground,” he said.

Profound Beauty takes Melbourne trip in her stride

IRELAND’S MELBOURNE Cup hope Profound Beauty is bouncing back from a marathon 47-hour trip to Australia last week and is gearing up for “the race that stops a nation” in a fortnight’s time.

Dermot Weld’s star stayer is a general 16 to 1 shot in ante-post betting for the Flemington feature in which she finished fifth in 2008.

She flew out to Australia last week in a trip that took in Manchester, Dubai and Hong Kong before touching down in Melbourne. “She had a long flight, a 47-flight door-to-door, and she was tired after such a long trip,” Weld said yesterday.

“But we are satisfied with her progress now. David Phillips, who is looking after her in Melbourne, is happier this week.”

Weld famously engineered a breakthrough in international racing when saddling Vintage Crop to land the Melbourne Cup in 1993 and followed up nine years later with Media Puzzle.

Pat Smullen, currently fighting it out with Johnny Murtagh and Fran Berry for the Irish jockeys’ championship, is scheduled to team up with Profound Beauty in two weeks’ time. The five-time champion rider finished runner-up in the 2003 Melbourne Cup aboard Vinnie Roe who found only Makybe Diva too good for him.