Festival is Trouble's main priority

Far From Trouble might be one of the favourites for Aintree's John Smith's Grand National but the JP McManus team regard the upcoming Cheltenham Festival as his number one priority. Brian O'Connor reports

Last year's Galway Plate hero has a choice of the William Hill Trophy Chase on the opening day of Cheltenham or the Racing Post Plate on day three, with the longer event favourite at this stage. "We will have to look at the weights in each race, and see what the ground is like, but I suppose at this stage we are leaning towards the William Hill. The three miles there would suit him. He is in good old form at the moment and Cheltenham, and maybe a return to Galway for the Plate, has been the main plan all along," said McManus's racing manager, Frank Berry, yesterday.

Far From Trouble is a 12 to 1 joint favourite with Dun Doire in many lists for the Grand National after being heavily tipped up when the Aintree weights were announced shortly after an impressive victory over hurdles at Down Royal.

Berry insisted yesterday, though, that a tilt at the world's most famous jumps race is "not set in stone" for the horse.

"He is one of nine entries we have for the National and there are three or four of them that I know will be aimed at Aintree," he said.

"That's not to say Far From Trouble won't run. If he were to run well at Cheltenham, then we would definitely look at the National, but it's not set in stone that he will run in it.

"We're worried that he might not have enough experience for Liverpool. There are others I know will run: him, I don't know."

The top mare Asian Maze has a more definite plan with her trainer Tom Mullins describing her as "99 per cent certain" to run in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Asian Maze is also one of the market leaders in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle over three miles but despite missing out on last weekend's Red Mills Trial due to the heavy ground, Mullins is confident he will get his stable star in peak condition for the Champion.

"It was a blow to miss Gowran because that was part of the plan all along. But she's in good form and a racecourse gallop or two should put her right before Cheltenham. She should be fine," he said yesterday.

"It's 99 per cent certain she will run in the Champion. The other entry is in case something happens like last year when she fell in the Champion Hurdle and took a bang to the head," Mullins added.

"Only for that bang, she would have run in the Stayers' and the same situation applies now. This isn't rocket science and it always pays to keep your options open. Depending on what happens, she might run in both races this time. But her target is the Champion. The Stayers entry is just a precaution," he said.

The Champion could also end up being Newmill's festival target after trainer John Murphy's report that heavy going at Cheltenham could see the Champion Chaser switched from the Queen Mother to the opening day highlight. Last weekend's Red Mills victory was just the latest piece of high-class hurdles form produced by Newmill and Murphy is determined to keep his options open.

"We've left him in the Champion Hurdle to buy time and see how things are nearer the festival.

"We will make a decision the week before and if the ground is heavy I think we could change our minds and go for the Champion Hurdle," Murphy said.

"I'm not saying we will, but we could. His aim is the Champion Chase but the ground will be a factor," he added.

Jessica Harrington has confirmed that Cork All-Star, favourite in many lists for the Festival Bumper at Cheltenham, has stepped up his preparation for March 14th but will not appear at Leopardstown's post-racing work-out session on Sunday week.

The Co Kildare trainer also gave an upbeat report on the Champion Hurdle hope Macs Joy and said: "He is in good form and I just hope we get some nice ground at Cheltenham."

Horse Racing Ireland have announced a new two-year Listed race at Leopardstown for July 4th this year called the Golden Fleece Stakes, named after the 1982 Derby hero who won two of his four career starts at the Co Dublin course. It will be run over six furlongs.

The announcement came yesterday when HRI detailed the flat race programme for the first half of 2007. A total of 455 races will be run at 91 separate meetings.

Yesterday's scheduled Clonmel fixture was cancelled after an 8.00 morning inspection found the track to be waterlogged. "They needed a dry night to go ahead and they just didn't get it," said the Turf Club spokesman Cliff Noone.

"The meeting has been cancelled which would leave the door open for it being possibly rearranged."