Hennessy to decide late

A DECISION on Sublimity’s participation in Sunday’s Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle will be a “last minute job” as trainer Rob Hennessy anxiously awaits the impact of a poor weather forecast on ground conditions at Leopardstown.

In an ante-post market dominated by the odds-on favourite Solwhit and the English challenger Celestial Halo, Hennessy still fancies his chances with the 2007 Champion Hurdle winner if the going isn’t too testing.

“He is in great form. I just hope he’s as well in March at Cheltenham,” he said yesterday.

“But if the ground is bottomless, he won’t run. It wouldn’t bother me if he had to go straight to Cheltenham but we’d still like to run on Sunday. The one thing definite is that he won’t be going to Haydock this weekend.”

Hennessy added: “The problem is the forecast for Thursday isn’t great so it looks like a decision is going to be a last minute job. I’ll probably declare him on Friday and then walk the track in the morning. We’ll see what we find.”

Sublimity came up short against Solwhit at Leopardstown over Christmas in the Festival Hurdle and Solwhit was heavily backed yesterday into an 8 to 11 favourite with some firms.

“The mistake at the fourth last didn’t help us that day and there was also a heavy piece of ground after the second last which meant he had to chase him along,” said Hennessy of Sublimity whose only previous attempt at the €110,000 Leopardstown highlight yielded a fourth to Brave Inca last year.

Another trainer leaving a decision until late is Tom Mullins who yesterday described Forster Cross as “50-50” to run in Sunday’s Arkle at Leopardstown.

“I’m going to leave it as late as possible. He is coming back to himself all the time and if it was in two weeks time, I’d definitely run. But I’m not sure just yet,” he said.

Dessie Hughes is hoping the former John Durkan winner In Compliance can put a disappointing effort last time behind him when he lines up for Saturday’s Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock.

In Compliance put in a lack-lustre effort behind What A Friend in the Lexus Chase and was pulled up before the final fence.

“It’s a bit of a mystery why he pulled up. We couldn’t find anything wrong with him,” Hughes said yesterday.

“He was slightly anaemic which might have caused a problem. But he is in good form now.”

Horse Racing Ireland confirmed yesterday they have scheduled a replacement fixture for Fairyhouse on February 9th.