News Round-Up:The star two-miler Nickname is set to try and continue his winning streak at Naas on Sunday but Martin Brassil insisted yesterday that the ground at Cheltenham will officially have to be at least "soft" if his horse is to run in the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Nickname is one of just seven entries for this weekend's €60,000 Paddy Power Newlands Chase which will be run just 17 days before the Champion Chase itself for which the prolific mudlark is as low as 5 to 1.
With expectations growing that soft ground is becoming increasingly likely for next month's festival, Sunday's big-race sponsors have opened betting on what the going will be on day one at Cheltenham and Powers rate "good to soft" an odds-on favourite.
However, Brassil is adamant that such a surface on day two would not be enough to tempt him run Nickname who, along with the reigning champion Newmill, represents the main Irish threat in the ante-post betting on the race. "I've been hearing some of the reports about the ground at Cheltenham but it's still three weeks to the festival and it only matters what it will be like in the days running up to it," the Co Kildare-based trainer said.
"If he does run at Cheltenham, the ground would have to be soft. Why would I risk him on anything else? What they call good to soft in England is what we would call good. He's in grand shape today and the plan is to run at Naas. I believe Ruby (Walsh) will be available to ride him again," Brassil added.
Last weekend's Red Mills Trial Chase winner, Watson Lake, may be Nickname's big threat in Sunday's two-mile Grade Two while Jessica Harrington's novice, Gemini Lucy, a 20 to 1 shot for the Arkle Trophy, could be in line for a first start since April.
Brave Inca remains on track to appear at the Leopardstown post-race work-out session on Sunday week but attention yesterday was centred on who will ride the Colm Murphy-trained horse when he bids to defend his title at the festival.
Ruby Walsh, winner of the Bewleys December Festival Hurdle at Christmas on his sole ride on Brave Inca, has been made a 1 to 3 shot by Powers to be on board the champion at Cheltenham instead of his usual rider Tony McCoy (5 to 2). JP McManus's retained rider looks like being claimed for Straw Bear in the big race but Colm Murphy insisted yesterday that who rides Brave Inca at Cheltenham is currently the least of his concerns.
"I don't even know myself who will be riding. I thought Ruby was supposed to be riding one of Paul Nicholls's (Desert Quest). I spoke to AP last week and he said to me what he has said to everyone else, that he doesn't know what's going to happen.
"He certainly didn't say he couldn't ride my horse or that he would definitely be able to ride him. But all this is a problem we will deal with much nearer the time. There's a long way to go yet and jockeys are the least of my problems right now," Murphy said.
"Please God he is in good shape at the moment and the plan is to go to Leopardstown. He will do a piece of work there which should leave him spot on," he added.
Two other Grade Two contests will be run at Naas on Sunday including the Anglo Irish Bank Nas Na Riogh Chase and the 15-strong entry for that includes the dual-Grade One winner Schindlers Hunt from Dessie Hughes's yard. Schindlers Hunt wasn't entered for the Arkle at Cheltenham due to a clerical error but still holds a SunAlliance Chase entry.
Another Grade One winner in contention for a run at Naas is the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase winner Mister Top Notch while Nickname's stable companion, Ambobo, a former top hurdler in France, could make his chasing debut in Ireland.
A total of 21 horses remain in the Johnstown Novice Hurdle over two and a half miles, including the Eoin Griffin-trained Kazal who is as low as 8 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Brit Insurance Hurdle at Cheltenham.
His opposition could include one or more of a five-strong challenge from Noel Meade's yard including the Deloitte runner-up, Leading Run.
