Mullins' Alderwood looks set for festival

RACING: Alderwood will always hold a place in Tom Mullins's heart after breaking the trainer's Cheltenham duck last year in the County Hurdle and Mullins hopes a long wait to the final race of next week's action will result in back-to-back festival victories.

The JP McManus-owned star has a number of entries at Cheltenham but the final race on the final day, the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase, looks like being favourite.

Alderwood is a general 7 to 1 market leader in most ante-post lists for the Grand Annual and pleased Mullins in a blow-out after racing at Leopardstown on Sunday.

“He jumped a few and I was happy. He was adequate without being exuberant and he has come out of it well,” the brother of champion trainer Willie said yesterday.

Not too worried

“Ground-wise, I’m not too worried. Anything bar very quick ground he should be fine on,” he added. “There’s no final decision on where he will run but it is looking more likely to be the final race on Friday.”

Alderwood’s memorable County success meant Mullins followed in a family tradition of Cheltenham success begun by his father Paddy, and maintained by his brothers, Willie and Tony.

Shield, Aidan O’Brien’s first National Hunt winner in over eight years at Leopardstown last weekend, continues to be supported in betting for next week’s Wetherbys Champion Bumper where he is likely to be a first Cheltenham festival ride for the trainer’s son Joseph.

And anything that’s good enough for Ireland’s champion flat jockey appears likely to be the same for his counterpart in Britain, Richard Hughes, who has been approached to ride Sgt Reckless for Mick Channon in the same race.

Hughes has much more festival experience having been placed three times, including behind O’Brien’s legendary Istabraq and when His Song was runner up in the 1998 Supreme. His biggest National Hunt winner came aboard Cockney Lad in the 1997 Irish Champion Hurdle.

Approval to ride

Hughes, who is awaiting BHA approval to ride, said yesterday: “I’m just waiting for my licence to come through. Mick likes the horse and he definitely has a chance.” Sgt Reckless is as low as 14 to 1 in some ante-posts for next Wednesday’s Grade One after two wins in his career so far.

Meanwhile, Imperial Commander could be targeted at the Aintree Grand National in April after being ruled out of the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup yesterday.

A lung infection has put paid to the dream of the 12-year-old attempting to regain the blue riband prize of jumps racing.

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies was convinced Imperial Commander was back in the same sort of form which saw him defeat Denman and Kauto Star in the 2010 renewal.

“He’s got a lung infection so he won’t be going to Cheltenham, that’s that,” said Twiston-Davies.