Beef Or Salmon on track for Cheltenham

Michael Hourigan was a happy man yesterday after Beef Or Salmon put himself firmly back on to the Cheltenham Gold Cup trail with an impressive work-out.

The star chaser galloped against a pair of stable companions over two miles in what was his first serious exercise since being beaten by Rule Supreme in the Hennessy Gold Cup earlier this month.

After that Beef Or Salmon was found to be suffering from a respiratory tract infection and yesterday a vet was on standby to scope the horse immediately after he finished his gallop.

Beef Or Salmon scoped clean and now Hourigan can concentrate on putting the finishing touches to his Gold Cup preparation.

"He will have two more serious bits of work on a racecourse before Cheltenham," Hourigan said yesterday. "He worked well today and I was very happy. He went past the two others and then idled in front which is just him."

Hourigan added that he was unconcerned about the length of time between the gallop and the Hennessy as regards his Cheltenham preparation.

"It's not a big deal. He was back riding out last Monday week and he has been cantering away. What we wanted from this was to just take him away and give him a day out from home. It looks to have gone well," he said.

Beef Or Salmon remains as low as 6 to 1 for Cheltenham in what will be his third attempt on the Gold Cup. The first in 2003 ended with a fall at the third fence and last year he ran fourth after an interrupted preparation.

Hourigan also reported that he could be also represented at the Cheltenham festival by The Screamer (County Hurdle) and Cratloe Castle (Pretemps Final).

Another trainer who has had an anxious time with his stable star is Christy Roche but the Arkle Trophy hope Like-A-Butterfly could still get a pre-festival warm-up at Punchestown on Sunday.

The former AIG winner is one of 13 horses left in the Coonan-Cawley Novice Chase and Roche hasn't ruled out using the race as a stepping stone to Cheltenham.

"She seems to be coming on well and her blood picture is back to normal. But whether the weekend comes too soon or not I'm not sure yet. We'll just have to see how she is," he said.

Like-A-Butterfly has become something of the forgotten horse in the Arkle market and is trading at 20 to 1 with Ladbrokes. But that isn't worrying her trainer.

"There is no harm in her being forgotten about now," joked Roche. "If she stays well in herself, and the ground is right, she could still make it to Cheltenham."

With Conor O'Dwyer also the regular rider of the Arkle favourite War Of Attrition, it could open the door for Tony McCoy to ride the JP McManus-owned mare at Cheltenham.

Roche's other likely festival starter is Calladine in the newly installed Jewson Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs for novices. That race on the third day is also an option for the Grade One winner Forget The Past who is also the lowest priced Irish entry for the SunAlliance Chase at 25 to 1 with Ladbrokes.

His trainer Michael O'Brien reported yesterday that the horse has recovered from a slight infection in a hind leg and he is hopeful of having him ready in time for Cheltenham.

"It depends on what the handicapper does with him and also on whether we can have him straight enough. I think we will leave a decision until the week before," said O'Brien, who could have up to five runners at the festival.

Essex remains on course for the Smurfit Champion Hurdle and Beechcourt has the Country Hurdle option. The four-year-olds Barati and Majlis are also likely travellers.

Just eight horses were left in at yesterday's forfeit stage for Sunday's Sheehy Motors Hurdle at Punchestown but they include Cheltenham hopes Macs Flamingo and Queen Astrid. The latter, who is a 16 to 1 shot for the SunAlliance, missed out on last weekend's Johnstown Hurdle at Naas but could still earn her festival ticket this weekend.

It was announced yesterday that the Laing O'Rourke company will be the new sponsor of the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh. The race, which has been won in the past by El Gran Senor, Roberto and Sinndar, will be worth 300,000.