RACING:PUNCHESTOWN'S BAD luck with the weather this week struck home again yesterday when the big English hope Captain Chris was ruled out of tomorrow's €140,000 Tote Gold Cup.
The very testing ground conditions have swayed trainer Philip Hobbs against running last season’s festival winner in the rescheduled Grade One feature.
“We’ve decided not to run Captain Chris on Saturday.
“We’re not sure about his stamina and I think it would be unfair to ask him to go three miles on ground that is going to be very soft indeed,” said Hobbs, who will also remove his other entries for tomorrow at today’s final declaration stage.
The ever-increasing tempo of the new flat season rises another gear this weekend with Aidan O’Brien due to run So You Think in Sunday’s €300,000 Group One Prix Ganay at Longchamp.
O’Brien also has the option of running his Oaks hope Kissed in the Group Three Prix Vanteaux on the same Longchamp card.
The champion trainer will be represented in Hong Kong on Sunday when Jamie Spencer teams up with the 2011 Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach in the QEII Cup.
Before that O’Brien’s son Joseph will be on board the classic hopeful Imperial Monarch in tomorrow’s Bet 365 Classic Trial at Sandown.
Imperial Monarch, currently a general 25 to 1 shot for the Epsom Derby, will tackle just three opponents in the 10 furlong event but they come from the top British yards of John Gosden, Henry Cecil and Richard Hannon.
