Saturday will tell a lot for Dunguib

RACING:IT IS six years since Hardy Eustace landed Gowran Park's Red Mills Trial on-route to winning the Champion Hurdle and Philip Fenton believes Dunguib will have to do something similar on Saturday to earn his Cheltenham ticket.

The former bumper star is set for a belated first start of the campaign in the €40,000 Grade Two Trial for which 10 entries were left in at yesterday’s forfeit stage.

Various problems have delayed Dunguib’s return to action since his last race at the Punchestown festival but he remains as low as 14 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Champion Hurdle. The triple Grade One winner is also a 14 to 1 shot in some lists for the Coral Cup.

“His performance on Saturday will tell us a lot. I know it will be heavy ground but really, if we aren’t going to be competitive on Saturday, then we have no business going to Cheltenham for any race, never mind the Champion Hurdle,” Fenton said yesterday.

Last year’s Red Mills winner Luska Lad is among the likely opposition, while Sunday’s Boyne Hurdle scorer, Voler La Vedette, could also make a quick reappearance. Both horses are officially rated superior to Dunguib but the latter has been pleasing Fenton in the run up to this weekend’s contest. “He has improved leaps and bounds over the last number of weeks and will definitely run on Saturday,” the Co Tipperary-based trainer said.

Champion-trainer Willie Mullins has three entries in the Hurdle, including French import Sir Des Champs and former Cheltenham festival winner Fiveforthree who remains a possible for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Mullins also has a trio of entries in the Chase Trial. Some 11 horses remain in the two-and-a-half mile event, including Siegemaster.

The first two from the Kinloch Brae Chase – Follow The Plan and Roberto Goldback – also figure in the entry. Roberto Goldback’s in-form trainer Jessica Harrington has also left in Chasing Cars.