RACING: JONCOL HAS been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a tendon injury during the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival meeting last week.
Paul Nolan’s giant staying chaser was considered a major contender as he went in search of his third Grade One prize, but he trailed home seventh of the nine runners.
Nolan initially thought the drying ground might have been partly to blame for his disappointing display, but a subsequent scan revealed a serious injury.
“We had the horse scanned this morning and it has shown he has a 10 per cent hole in a hind tendon,” said the Co Wexford-based trainer.
“We now have a valid reason for his lacklustre performance in the Lexus, but, unfortunately, it means the horse is out for the season.
“Straight after the race we thought the ground hadn’t helped him, but he’s a Grade One-winning chaser and considering he was beaten going to the first fence, there had to be more to it than that.
“To be honest, I’ve only feared running him on better ground because he is such a big horse.
“He’s worked on better ground and worked fine, so I had a fair idea it couldn’t have just been the ground the other day.
“He was in trouble from the very first fence, so the injury must have happened running down to that.
“It’s a serious injury, but it could have been worse, and we’ll just have to give him some time now and see where we are.
“It’s very disappointing as I was so looking forward to the season with him, but I’d be hopeful he’ll be back for next season.
“Hopefully we can look at running him in the John Durkan (Memorial Punchestown Chase) and the Lexus again.”
Meanwhile, Paddy Brennan a native of Ardrahan, Co Galway, was in unbeatable form at Southwell yesterday with a 259 to 1 hat-trick from just three booked rides on Ravastree, Johnny Owen and Master Cynx.
Brennan kicked off in style by making all on Charlie Longsdon’s Ravastree (4 to 1), whose task in the Membership of Southwell Golf Club Handicap Chase was made easier when the odds-on Mr Chow fell seven fences from home.
He then went on a long way out on the free-running David Brace-trained Johnny Owen (3 to 1), who justified strong support in the Happy New Year From Southwell Handicap Hurdle.
Master Cynk (12 to 1) from Tom George’s stable brought up the Brennan treble with a winning debut in the southwell-racecourse.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race.
John Ferguson’s runners continue to add a fascinating new dimension to the jumps season as the trainer struck with his first juvenile hurdler at Huntingdon.
Known throughout the bloodstock world as the man who spots and acquires horses for Sheikh Mohammed, Ferguson is in a far more privileged position than most start-ups as he has a private base at Cowlinge near Newmarket and has taken delivery of quite a few Darley and Godolphin cast-offs.
Asaid (4 to 1) was placed in all four starts for Saeed bin Suroor, without looking desperately straightforward, but became Ferguson’s 14th winner under Rules when pulling two lengths away from Nicky Henderson’s One Lucky Lady in the juvenile Hurdle.
