Hourigan finds going heavy

RACING: Heavy Ground conditions for Leopardstown's Christmas festival will be heavy but Michael Hourigan is already finding it heavy going trying to book a jockey for his star chaser Beef Or Salmon.

The exciting novice, winner of his two starts over fences and already a 25 to 1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, has a number of races to choose from over the holidays but no decision as to where he goes has yet been taken.

"We will have to leave it as late as possible because no jockey that I want is available," a frustrated Hourigan said yesterday.

Declarations for St Stephen's Day will be made today including the Grade Two Guinness Greenmount Park Chase at Limerick which had been mooted as the most likely Christmas race for Beef Or Salmon.

However, he also figures in the Grade One Denny Gold Medal Chase at Leopardstown and another option which hasn't been ruled out is Saturday's Ericsson Chase.

Paul Carberry rode Beef Or Salmon to win on his fencing debut at Clonmel and Timmy Murphy was on board in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork last time.

The ground at Leopardstown yesterday was reported as "heavy" and no change is expected through the holiday period. "We had quite a bit of rain on Saturday, about 12mms, and with all the rain we've had since October, it means the ground is heavy. I can't see much change.

Christmas Day is supposed to be dry which will help but rain is forecast for every second day," said Leopardstown's racing manager Tom Burke.

Up to 60,000 people are expected to attend the Leopardstown meeting over the four days with crowds of 17,000 expected on each of the first two afternoons.

One horse they will not be able to see, however, is the promising novice Back In Front who had been lined up for the paddypower.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

Edward O'Grady has reported that the Royal Bond runner-up hadn't scoped properly during last week and as a result will miss the Grade Two contest. It is another blow to the Co Tipperary trainer who has had to call time on Ned Kelly's season after the Champion Hurdle contender finished lame on his only start of the term.

December has not been kind to O'Grady all round with the former SunAlliance Hurdle favourite Pizzaro found to have muccus in his throat following his last race at Navan. No plans for a return have been made and O'Grady wryly said: "He has progressed to coughing."

Thursday's Ballyfree Flat Race has seen the introduction of Cheltenham winners Florida Pearl and Wither Or Which in recent years and Willie Mullins again has the race in his sights. Mullins has said that the Galway winner Royal Alphabet is his number one hope for the Cheltenham bumper but he can choose from Davenport Democrat, Kronos Des Obeuax and Mr Babbage for the St Stephen's Day Leopardstown bumper.

Mullins attempts to bring off an amazing treble in the Grade One races at Kempton on St Stephen's Day. A £100,000 bonus is up for grabs for any trainer, jockey or owner who wins all three of the card's championship events and Mullins is represented by Florida Pearl, Davenport Milenium and either Ballyamber or One Night Out.