Michael Hourigan yesterday confirmed his star chaser Dorans Pride will revert to hurdles and clash with the prolific Limestone Lad at Navan on Sunday. The pair will meet in the Proudstown Hurdle over two and a half miles and Dorans Pride will receive almost two stone from Limestone Lad who is being kept ticking over before he again clashes with Istabraq in the AIG Irish Champion Hurdle in 17 days' time.
However, even with the weight concession Hourigan's first priority on Sunday is to restore Dorans Pride's confidence after that unsuccessful tilt at the King George. "I feel it's important to get his confidence back in his jumping. He really clouted a fence at Kempton and pulled some muscles in his back but we fixed him up the next day and he's fine now. The weight he will get from Limestone Lad is really secondary to what we want to do," Hourigan said.
The Co Limerick trainer also reported that his Paddy Power Chase winner, Inis Cara, will make a quick return to action in the Pierce Leopardstown Chase on Saturday and his son Paul will return to the plate instead of Robbie McNally. "Inis Cara is fine. He'd practically no race in the Paddy Power. He won it well and Paul will ride him," Hourigan added.
Saturday's feature is the Ladbroke Hurdle and Noel Meade yesterday dropped Boley Lad from this year's team and will instead rely on Native Dara and Greenstead. "Boley Lad is highly unlikely to run. We were thinking if the race cut up we might be tempted to run but that hasn't happened. Plus it would mean coming back in trip for the horse," said Meade who added that Paul Carberry will ride Native Dara with his brother, Philip, on Greenstead.
The news leaves Pat Hughes looking for a jockey. Carberry had been expected to ride Quinze for Hughes, with Fran Berry aboard stablemate Mantles Prince.
David Casey has been released by Oliver Sherwood to ride She's Our Mare and he will be hoping to make his record six wins from 10 rides on the Tony Martin-trained mare on Saturday.
Trainer Dermot Weld reports Archive Footage in good form as he prepares to land consecutive victories in the big race. Weld said yesterday: "Archive Footage worked well yesterday morning and is coming right just now. A competitive race with plenty of runners is what suits him best, and I expect him to be thereabouts on Saturday, particularly if the ground rides very soft."
Latest Ladbroke Hurdle betting: Ladbrokes: 9-2 Afarad, Knife Edge, 6-1 Geos, She's Our Mare, 11-1 Mantles Prince, 12-1 Archive Footage, 14-1 Native Dara, 16-1 Quinze, Golden Rule, Derrymoyle, 20-1 Bar. Coral: 4-1 Afarad, 5-1 Knife Edge, 7-1 Geos, She's Our Mare, 11-1 Mantle's Prince, 14-1 Native Dara, Archive Footage, Golden Rule, 16-1 Master Beveled, Quinze, Derrymoyle, Boley Lad, Greenstead, Ajar, 20-1 Bar.
Istabraq and Limestone Lad are among 15 entries for the AIG Europe (Irish) Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on January 23rd announced yesterday. Nicky Henderson is responsible for three of the five British possibles, with Katarino being joined by Bacchanal and Blue Royal.
Irish Champion Hurdle entries: Archive Footage, Bacchanal, Blue Royal, Goldanzig, Golden Rule, Istabraq, Katarino, Knife Edge, Limestone Lad, Master Beveled, Nomadic, Relkeel, Stage Affair, Theatreworld and Yeoman's Point.
Mary Reveley has confirmed that the progressive Brother Of Iris has been entered for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which entries closed yesterday. He is 12 to 1 third favourite with Ladbrokes for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham on March 16th.
Wahiba Sands and Blowing Wind head the weights on 12st published yesterday for the £100,000 Tote Gold Trophy Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday February 12th. There are seven Irish-trained entries for the Trophy, which has not fallen to an overseas raider since Irish Fashion scored in 1976. They include owner J P McManus' Afarad (1010), She's Our Mare (11-1) and Native Dara (9-13) who are all set to take on Geos in the Ladbroke.
