Mangan leans towards National trial

NEWS ROUND-UP:IT MIGHT be only six days since Whinstone Boy landed a memorable Thyestes Chase gamble but Jimmy Mangan is leaning towards giving the Gowran Park hero a chance to earn his Aintree Grand National ticket at Punchestown this Sunday.

Whinstone Boy is one of 28 entries for the marathon three-and-a-half-mile Grand National Trial and despite it demanding a relatively quick reappearance, Mangan is seriously considering running the horse again.

"The owners are anxious to go to Liverpool and there is no way the horse would get into the National off the mark he has at the moment," the Co Cork-based trainer said yesterday.

"He seems fine and well in himself since Gowran and he would need to win again if he was to get into the National. It's all happening a bit quicker than I would prefer but beggars can't be choosers," added Mangan who memorably landed the world's most famous steeplechase with Monty's Pass seven years ago.

Whinstone Boy has been raised 12lb in official ratings by the handicapper to a mark of 131 after his Thyestes defeat of Hangover and Siegemaster but ground conditions would be in his favour with the going currently "heavy" at the Co Kildare course.

Mangan's other top chaser, the former Grade One-winner Conna Castle, could also travel to Punchestown for the Grade Two Tied Cottage Chase after just five entries remained in the €40,000 contest following yesterday's forfeit stage.

"I was going to send him to Thurles (tomorrow) but when I saw the four others we might go to Punchestown instead," he said.

"If Big Zeb is back to himself, he looks like he'll win but there's good place money."

Big Zeb was reported on course for Sunday's race where he could clash with the Willie Mullins-trained Golden Silver who earned Grade One honours himself at Leopardstown over Christmas.

"I'm happy he is back to himself," said Big Zeb's trainer Colm Murphy yesterday.

"I can hold my hands up as we should never have run him in the Tingle Creek. He is a better horse when fresh."

Don't Be Bitin and Mansony make up the rest of the Tied Cottage entry but a dozen are in the other Grade Two on the Punchestown card, the Moscow Flyer Hurdle won last year by the subsequent Cheltenham hero, Mikael D'Haguenet.

They include both Hollo Ladies and Saludos who fought out a Grade One finish at Leopardstown a month ago as well as Mikael D'Haguenet's impressive stable companion, the mare, Morning Supreme. The in-form Dermot Weld has left in Universal Truth who was beaten on his hurdling debut during Christmas.

The connections of Western Leader will be hoping for a form boost from Acapulco at Navan today as trainer John "Shark" Hanlon is planning to send his Leopardstown winner to Doncaster on Saturday for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Western Leader, who beat Acapulco a short head over Christmas, is also entered at Cheltenham this weekend but will travel to Yorkshire.

"The race at Doncaster is longer and that's the route we're going to go down," Hanlon said yesterday.

"That's his aim and then hopefully he can come back to Ireland for the Michael Purcell Hurdle at Thurles in a month's time."

Confirmation that Denman won't be travelling to Leopardstown on Sunday week for the Hennessy Gold Cup has resulted in a shake-up in some ante-post betting lists for the major chase prize with Joncol now a new 7 to 2 favourite with Paddy Power.

Money Trix was a fast-finishing runner-up to What A Friend in the Lexus Chase and is currently being trained away from Nicky Richards' Cumbrian base in Newmarket.

"Another 50-100 yards and he would probably have won the Lexus. Hopefully, he'll go one better and hopefully Davy Russell will be able to ride the horse again and he'll know the horse a little better," Richards reported.

BETTING(Hennessy Gold Cup): 7-2 Joncol, 4 Cooldine and Money Trix. 7 Notre Pere, 8 Madison Du Berlais, 10 Rare Bob, 12 Glencove Marina, 14 Snowy Morning, 16 Schindlers Hunt, 20 Bar.