Edward O'Grady's star novice Catch Me looks set to have another crack at Aran Concerto in Cheltenham's Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle after his unfortunate exit at Leopardstown last weekend.
Barry Geraghty came in for widespread criticism when being unseated from Catch Me at the second last obstacle in the Deloitte Novice Hurdle after Aran Concerto's stable companion Leading Run crashed into them.
The hugely-regarded Aran Concerto was promoted to as low as 15 to 8 for the formerly titled SunAllinace Hurdle on the strength of going on to win that Deloitte but Catch Me's own Cheltenham aspirations remain very much intact.
"He has come out of Leopardstown fine, and he has also come out of it with much more credit than his jockey!" said O'Grady who admitted yesterday that he felt a lot of frustration at Catch Me's festival warm-up being curtailed in such a manner.
"The plan on Saturday was to find out more about which Cheltenham race we should go for. But in view of what happened, the waters only got more muddy," said Ireland's most successful Cheltenham Festival trainer.
"I suppose it is more probable we will go for the Ballymore but the main thing is that he has come out of the race sound.
"We will probably take him back to Leopardstown on March 4th for a work out after racing," O'Grady added.
The Ballymore route also looks like being favourite for Catch Me as his stable companion Clopf is definitely being targeted at the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
"I think he might go to Leopardstown on the 4th as well. He certainly won't have a race before Cheltenham and the Supreme is the plan. He wouldn't be a Ballymore type," said O'Grady.
Adrian Maguire confirmed yesterday that his star mare Celestial Wave is being prepared for the Cheltenham Festival in the hope that ground conditions turn up suitably soft for her.
Celestial Wave is as low as 8 to 1 for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle on the strength of progressive form on winter ground and she will miss out on Sunday's Grade Three McCabe Builders Boyne Hurdle at Navan to concentrate on her Cheltenham preparations. "It was never really the plan to run in the Boyne because you wouldn't want to be going again so close to the festival," Maguire said.
"We are gearing her towards Cheltenham and God willing, she will get her ground," he added. "She's come out of the last race at Gowran fine but she needed a break and is back cantering for a couple of days now."
Asian Maze is one of nine entries for the Boyne over two mile and five furlongs but looks more likely to run in Saturday's Red Mills Trial at Gowran where she is set to clash with Hardy Eustace, Macs Joy and Harchibald. Cashmans make Asian Maze a 12 to 1 shot to emphasise her Champion Hurdle claims at Gowran in a Grade Two that sees Hardy Eustace and Macs Joy 6 to 4 joint favourites.
A total of 12 entries remain in Sunday's Grade Two Ten Up Chase at Navan and they include Chelsea Harbour and Gazza's Girl as well as Juspourit who also has the option of the Grade Three McManus Flyingbolt Chase over two miles on the same card.
The Gold Cup contender In Compliance remains on course for his own festival trial in Saturday week's Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse after coming unscathed through a work-out on the Curragh yesterday morning.
In Compliance missed out on the Hennessy through a lack of fitness but his trainer Michael O'Brien said yesterday he was happy his rising young star did not have a gruelling slog on soft ground at the weekend.
"We feel he will have no problem with three miles and he will run at Fairyhouse. He just wasn't fit enough to run in the Hennessy and looking at the race, both Beef Or Salmon and The Listener finished legless," reported O'Brien.
The Co Kildare trainer also revealed that his Supreme Hurdle hope De Valira will return to Punchestown next Wednesday after getting beaten in a Grade Two there earlier in the month. "He's a horse that needs to run more than the likes of In Compliance because he can get very high in himself. He got cast the weekend he ran the last time and had no strong work before the race so he wasn't a hundred per cent right. He still goes for the Supreme," he said.
"Le Toscan will also run at Fairyhouse on the 24th and if he wins, then he will go for the three miler (Brit Insurance) at Cheltenham," O'Brien added.
The Punchestown Festival in April will have 11 Grade One races after the Ellier Development Champion Novice Chase over three miles was promoted from Grade Two status to the top level yesterday. The pot, won in the past by the likes of Forget The Past, will be worth 110,000.
RED MILLS TRIAL HURDLE BETTING (Cashmans): 6-4 Hardy Eustace, Macs Joy; 4-1 Harchibald; 10-1 Jazz Messenger; 12-1 Asian Maze; 33-1 Adamant Approach, Conna Castle; 100-1 Laetitia.
