Major Jamie, game winner of the William Hill Handicap Hurdle at Sandown last month, will be ridden by Paul Hourigan when he reappears in the Ladbroke Hurdle at Leopardstown on Saturday, the gelding's trainer Arthur Moore revealed yesterday.
The seven-year-old will be joined in the line-up for next weekend's highlight by stable companion Graphic Equaliser, currently quoted at 8 to 1 second favourite by the sponsors.
"Conor O'Dwyer will ride Graphic Equaliser and Paul Hourigan will be on Major Jamie," announced Moore. "Both horses are fine."
Last year's winning trainer Jenny Pitman is set to bypass the Ladbroke Hurdle. She ended a 10-year British drought in the Leopardstown feature when she sent out Master Tribe to land the prize 12 months ago.
But she is unlikely to let her two entries Balladur and Ginger Fox take their chance this year. "We are keeping our options open in view of the weather in this country but they are not likely to go," said the trainer. "If I thought they could run well I'd take them but things haven't gone as we have hoped with them."
Balladur and Ginger Fox, both successful in novice company this term but beaten last time out, are each quoted at 33 to 1 for the Ladbroke Hurdle by the sponsors.
Plans remain fluid for stablecompanion Indefence, denied his first run for 645 days when Saturday's card at Newbury was abandoned.
"I haven't gone through the entries yet," Mrs Pitman said. "But there is plenty of time and we haven't got our backs to the wall with him.
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