Merry Gale delayed

MERRY GALE'S participation in the King George VI Tripleprint Chase was once again thrown into disarray as fog in England delayed his flight from Dublin for over three hours yesterday.

This latest hitch must leave trainer Jim Dreaper - relentlessly harassed by bad luck and worse weather - wondering whether he was ever meant to get Merry Gale to post for the twice postponed race at Sandown today.

Fog, shrouding many parts of the British mainland, delayed the take off of the plane due to bring the gelding over as areas around Luton and Stanstead were reportedly down to zero visibility.

A stable spokeswoman explained: "They left at 11.30am but, four hours later, were still waiting to take off after the plane couldn't get off the ground due to fog.

Perhaps this trip was never meant to happen, maybe we are jinxed! But let's hope that after all that has happened, there is a nice ending in it now they are eventually in the air."

After sending the gelding from his Kilsallaghan yard for the aborted "take one" of the Kempton feature on St Stephen's Day and staying on for the abandoned "take two" the following day, the trainer had eventually persuaded connections to take the plunge for "take three" at Sandown.

But hastily arranged communal travel plans - Merry Gale is flying with a collection of broodmares - to offset the near £8,000 costs of a return trip to England, met the last minute hitch.

Assuming everything now goes according to plan, Merry Gale attempts today to bridge a 20 year gap since Captain Christy and become the latest Irish trained winner of the £100,000 added chase.

Conversely, Francois Doumen makes a habit of taking this event and both the 1994 hero Algan and Racing Post Chase winner Val D'Alene experienced a trouble free crossing to the track as assistant trainer Ian Williams explained.

"Both are in good shape and they had an ideal crossing on the Dover Calais ferry and arrived at Sandown at lunchtime yesterday."

Asked why Val D'Alene has been much stronger than Algan in the King George ante post market this week Williams said: "One of them may have a better chance according to the bookies but according to the stable they both have similarly good chances!"

Kim Bailey confirmed his two candidates Master Oats and Book of Music on target for the race and, with reference to Charlie Swan's mount, Master Oats, elaborated: "Master Oats is working very well's at the moment.

"We still do not know what happened at Chepstow (pulled up in the Rehearsal Chase) but we hope he puts the record straight at Sandown tomorrow."

David Nicholson also had news of his big race hope Barton Bank. "He's in great form and we couldn't be happier with him," said the trainer at Towcester yesterday. "He's won around Sandown in the past and it's good jumping, ground."

Spokesmen at the yards of Nigel Twiston Davies (Young Hustler) and Josh Gifford (Brief Gale) both, reported their representatives were "fine" and on target for the race.