Torphichen needs to step up

RACING:EDWARD O'GRADY will hope some of his Cheltenham hopefuls can earn festival tickets this weekend, beginning with Torphichen in today's Naas feature.

Andrew McNamara’s mount is one of five lining up for the BBA Opera Hat Novice Chase, and if Arkle Trophy hopes are to continue then Torphichen really should be winning.

He is a general 33 to 1 shot for Cheltenham’s opening day race after finishing in the frame in a Christmas Grade One behind Realt Dubh and Noble Prince.

Before that he had won easily at Clonmel and finished runner-up to Quel Esprit at Limerick, and that balance of form should see him home ahead of the Leopardstown winner Rahan de Marcigny.

O’Grady and McNamara also team up today with Solstice Knight in the Beginners Chase, and this one is up to making it third time lucky over fences after a satisfactory comeback effort behind Sam Adams.

Tomorrow, O’Grady pitches both Shot From The Hip (Deloitte) and Sailor’s Warm (Spring Hurdle) into Grade One action at Leopardstown with places on Ireland’s most successful festival trainer’s team up for grabs.

Shot From The Hip is a general 20 to 1 shot for the Neptune at Cheltenham, and O’Grady said yesterday: “It will tell us where we might go at Cheltenham with him, or if he’s going to go.

“He’s won at Leopardstown and coped with soft ground before and, I think that whatever wins on Sunday will either be favourite or second favourite for their respective race at Cheltenham. It’s an extraordinarily competitive, genuine Grade One race.”

Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud colours are ubiquitous on Irish courses right now and Bog Warrior can carry them to another success in the second of the maiden hurdles.

The Tony Martin-trained runner won a bumper at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, beating Burn And Turn by three-parts of a length, and may be up to beating Lios A Choill, who was clear at Thurles when tipping up at the last.

Accordion To Paddy is on a hat-trick in the handicap hurdle after victories at Navan and Down Royal but could be foiled under a 6lb penalty by Guestofthenation, who has first time cheek-pieces.

Doesn't That Beat Banaher? 'Non-trier' penalties for best run lifted

JOCKEY Brian O’Connell and trainer Liam Kenny successfully appealed to the Turf Club yesterday against “non-trier” penalties imposed on That Beats Banaher at Fairyhouse last week after the official handicapper reported the run was actually the best the horse has ever put in.

That Beats Banaher was suspended from racing for 42 days and Kenny fined €1,500 for using the racecourse as a training ground when the horse ran in a Beginners Chase on January 29th. O’Connell, the jockey of star hurdler Dunguib, was banned for seven days for making insufficient effort.

All those penalties were appealed to the referrals committee yesterday and the evidence of National Hunt handicapper Noel O’Brien was described as “crucial” in the hearing.

O’Brien said the run at Fairyhouse represented an improvement of about 39lb on his previous run at Thurles and that it was his best run ever.

He also suggested the horse may be better suited by the trip of the Fairyhouse race (two miles five furlongs) rather than a longer distance, even though he had won point-to-points over three miles.

The referrals committee concluded there was insufficient evidence to conclude there was a breach of the rules and quashed the penalties.