A TEAM of six led by Chief's Song will bid to end Britain's losing run in the Ladbroke Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorrow. The party will fly over today to be prepared for a race that home stables have dominated since Barnbrook Again captured the inaugural running in 1987.
The £60,000 contest has a new favourite after Collier Bay, market leader following his victory at Sandown last weekend, was ruled out in favour of the Irish Champion Hurdle.
Trainer Jim Old has now withdrawn all three of his challengers leaving British hopes to rest with William Hill Handicap Hurdle winner Chief's Song, Squire Silk, Nemuro, Non Vintage, Palacegate King and Bookcase.
And British based jockeys will be to the fore, with Richard Dunwoody on Chief's Song and Mark Dwyer and Graham Bradley aboard the new favourites, Derrymoyle and Jeffell.
Old explained: "We had planned to run Collier Bay in the Ladbroke but with the bad weather and the fact that he had to fly out on the Friday - only six days after Sandown - meant the race came too quick.
"He will go for AIG Champion Hurdle, Mole Board will run in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on January 27th and Killone Abbot runs at Ascot tomorrow."
The British team was finalised yesterday when Andy Turnell, concerned about the likely testing ground and a possible rise in the weights, opted to run Squire Silk under Paul Carberry.
"He was a big disappointment in the William Hill. But he has broke a blood vessel since at home and he seems well in himself now. There is good prize money and you can't win if you stay at home," he said.
Two trainers new to the race, Michael Chapman and Alistair Whillans, will saddle Non Vintage (Willie Worthington) and Palacegate King (Brian Harding) respectively.
Whillans faces a long overnight, drive from Hawick in Scotland to ensure his challenger catches his flight. "The preferred route was by boat from Stranraer but the sea is too rough and though Ladbrokes are laying on the flight, I have to go to Luton to get it. That will take me seven hours," he said.
David Elsworth, who trained Barnbrook Again, will rely on William Hill Handicap Hurdle third Bookcase (Tony Procter) and Welsh Champion Hurdle winner Nemuro (Alan McCabe).
"Bookcase is as fit and well as he's ever been and is a wonderful price at 25 to 1," said Elsworth. "He's an old pro who runs better with each race and if he wins it will certainly be his finest hour. Nemuro will run in blinkers to sharpen him up and has a sporting chance on his best form."
Norman Williamson set his sights on a return to action as early as next month after clearing a crucial hurdle in his race back to full fitness yesterday.
The jumpjockey's hopes of riding at the Cheltenham Festival soared following an encouraging X ray of his right leg. He must undergo one more examination in about three weeks' time but, if his medical advisers are satisfied, he could be back on the racetrack by February 10th in time for Newbury's Tote Gold Trophy meeting.
"Everything is going according to plan. The X ray looked very good and if the leg is still okay when I go back in February I could start race riding again within a couple of days of that," said Williamson.
