Kiely waits on Kinane

Horse Racing: It is still not certain if Michael Kinane will be able to ride Blazing Liss in Cheltenham's Champion Bumper but one man anxiously waiting for his decision is the 21-year-old amateur Derek O'Connor.

John Kiely, the trainer of Blazing Liss who is an 8 to 1 second favourite for the festival, said yesterday that O'Connor will be on board the mare if Kinane is unable to travel back from Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Derby is on the same week as Cheltenham and the champion jockey, although tempted by the chance to ride at the festival, has not been able to confirm to Kiely he will be available to travel back.

"At the moment we don't know how he is fixed. If he is available then he has the ride because it is hard to beat that kind of experience," the Co Waterford trainer said yesterday.

He added: "If he can't make it then Derek O'Connor would ride. He knows the horse well and he has done nothing wrong on her."

O'Connor has developed into one of the country's top amateurs since winning his first point to point in 2000 and last summer won the prestigious GPT Handicap at the Galway festival on Rapid Deployment.

However, the Cheltenham race is open to professionals under both codes and Christy Roche has already moved to book Fran Berry for the 3 to 1 favourite Martinstown.

JCB Triumph Hurdle contender Val Du Don could miss the Cheltenham Festival after trainer Guillaume Macaire reported some of his yard to be coughing.