Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown has lost possibly its biggest attraction after Ireland's rising steeplechase star In Compliance was ruled out of the race yesterday.
Forget The Past will now represent owner Seán Mulryan and trainer Michael O'Brien in the Hennessy after a work-out by both horses left connections unhappy with In Compliance's fitness.
"We just weren't happy with his fitness. He isn't fit enough," explained O'Brien yesterday, before nominating Fairyhouse's Bobbyjo Chase in 16 days as In Compliance's new prep for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
That will give the John Durkan-winner another chance to prove his stamina for three miles, and it will also allow O'Brien to school his stable star before then.
"He hasn't run since two-and-a-half weeks before Christmas and he hasn't jumped any fences. We were going to school him this week but we can't now with the frost," the Co Kildare trainer said.
In Compliance had been as short as 11 to 10 favourite to beat the double-winner Beef Or Salmon and the English challenger The Listener at the weekend. In revised betting, The Listener is now the new 5 to 4 favourite with Cashmans and Beef Or Salmon is a 9 to 4 shot. Forget The Past has been installed at 5 to 2.
The Hennessy may still hold centre-stage, but the €100,000 Deloitte Novice Hurdle looks like having some major Cheltenham significance of its own after Edward O'Grady confirmed that Catch Me will tackle the hugely regarded Aran Concerto in the Grade One contest.
With Arrive Sir Clive also a possible for the race, the Deloitte looks like having a significant bearing on the make-up of the Irish team for Cheltenham's big novice events next month.
Aran Concerto, regarded by the champion trainer Noel Meade as being potentially the best he has trained, has long had the Deloitte as a target, but O'Grady has changed his mind on the two-and-a-quarter mile contest and set up a mouth-watering pre-festival clash in the process.
Catch Me lost his unbeaten record in Ireland when narrowly beaten by De Valira at Leopardstown over Christmas, but remains as low as 8 to 1 second favourite for the Ballymore Properties Novice Hurdle, formerly the SunAlliance, behind the clear 3 to 1 market leader, Aran Concerto.
Meade also confirmed Aran Concerto on track for the weekend, and he will use the Deloitte as a test for which race the horse will run in at the festival. Aran Concerto is as low as 8 to 1 for the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle as well.
"The Deloitte is two miles and two so it will give us an idea which way we will go with him," Meade said. "We should know afterwards whether to go up to two miles and five or go back to two.
"Just going on what he is doing at home, he certainly shows us plenty of speed. It looks like the Supreme could be the weaker of the two, but there is no such thing as an easy race at Cheltenham."
As well as focusing on Catch Me getting the better of Aran Concerto, O'Grady will also be represented in the Grade One PJ Moriarty Novice Chase with O'Muircheartaigh, and is also likely to run Shazand in the Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle.
Paul Carberry hopes to be back in action on Saturday, but Denis O'Regan steps in for the ride on Bridge Run in the Listed novice hurdle at Clonmel today. Noel Meade's horse made a winning debut over hurdles at Gowran in December which confirmed that stamina is Bridge Run's forte. He gets such a test this afternoon, and although he concedes experience to most of his rivals, O'Regan's mount could be the best of the bunch.
Ruby Walsh and Willie Mullins can land the opener with the former smart bumper runner Irish Invader, and the in-form team should also be on the mark in the mares novice hurdle with Candy Girl. Mullins described the eight-year-old as a difficult ride after she won her maiden at Christmas, but he also made no effort to hide his belief in her talent. Despite having to concede weight to most of these, Walsh should ease Candy Girl home.
