Sport

Danoli travels to Aintree in search of a hat-trick

DANOLI, whose battle scars from Aintree nearly ended his career even his life, 12 months ago, will bid for a hat-trick in the…

Tue Mar 26 1996 - 00:00

DANOLI, whose battle scars from Aintree nearly ended his career even his life, 12 months ago, will bid for a hat-trick in the Martell Aintree Hurdle on Saturday his trainer Torn Foley announced yesterday.

Only a deluge during the week will prevent the eight year old who fractured his off fore fetlock when gaining a hard fought win in last year's race, from taking his place in the line up for the £50,000 added contest.

Danoli booked in for a lengthy stay at the Lealturst Veterinary College in Liverpool after his battling three quarters of a length victory over Boro Eight in 1995.

But he has since made a miraculous recovery from injury and marked his comeback by finishing a staying on fourth to Collier Bay in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this month.

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Foley said yesterday morning "We'll be declaring him for the race, and we'll see what the ground is like when the meeting starts on, Thursday. If it is soft he'll possibly get through it but he wouldn't want it heavy or holding.

"He has run some good races on soft ground before and if you waited for the perfect ground all the time, you wouldn't get a run into him in the whole year."

Reflecting on the eight year old's efforts at Cheltenham, where he was beaten just over 10 lengths by Collier Bay, the Co Carlow trainer added "He ran well on ground he purely hates. He couldn't jump out of the ground at all at Cheltenham, "where the ground was horrible.

"A lot of people were complaining but that is racing. Not everyone can have the ground they want, and if it had not trained, Collier Bay wouldn't have been there.

"But he has come out of the race well. I would just like for him to put a bit of weight on over the summer, because I think he is a better horse when he is heavier.

"It would be nice to go back and win at the place he got hurt, where all the trouble started. In racing, no one owes anyone any thing but I don't think anyone would object to us winning it."

Collier Bay has ducked the race While Alderbrook, who surrendered his Champion Hurdle crown when second at Cheltenham, will run only in the event of further rain this week.