HORSE RACING: DERMOT WELD describes it as a "big ask" but the top amateur jockey Robbie McNamara has been handed the responsibility of riding Rite Of Passage, one of the leading Irish hopes at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival.
Unbeaten in two starts over jumps to date, Rite Of Passage worked over a mile and a half at Leopardstown racecourse yesterday morning and afterwards Weld confirmed the Neptune Investments Novices’ Hurdle favourite will again be ridden by his young jockey.
“It’s a big ask for a young 21-year-old amateur to ride a horse like this in a big race at Cheltenham but he is riding lots of winners right now and he knows the horse well,” the Curragh trainer said.
McNamara was on board Rite Of Passage for his maiden victory at Leopardstown in January and followed up in a conditions event at Punchestown over two and a half miles.
Weld also worked his two big Cheltenham Bumper hopes, Elegant Concorde and Hidden Universe, over 12 furlongs at Leopardstown yesterday and McNamara, the younger brother of top professional Andrew, looks like being on board Elegant Concorde at the festival as well.
“They all did nice bits of work and it looks like both horses will run. At the moment Robbie McNamara will ride Elegant Concorde and Pat Smullen will be on Hidden Universe,” Weld said. “Elegant Concorde would run on any surface except heavy while Hidden Universe likes an ease.”
The five-times former champion flat jockey, Pat Smullen, has ridden in the bumper at Cheltenham a number of times, including on Rite Of Passage who was third to Dunguib in last year’s race.
Dunguib remains an odds-on favourite in all ante-post lists for the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but he was subject of a special offer from Paddy Power yesterday when the firm said they will refund all losing bets on the race if Dunguib wins. “It will probably cost us a million, possibly even double that,” admitted Paddy Power.
Other jockey news yesterday centred on Tony McCoy’s Queen Mother Champion Chase booking for Forpadydeplasterer, after his impressive schooling session under regular rider Barry Geraghty at Leopardstown on Sunday.
“I was delighted with how he jumped. He put in some mighty leaps so he must be feeling well in himself. We will take him away for one more bit of work somewhere early next week,” his trainer Tom Cooper said yesterday.
“Barry told me he won’t be riding so we have booked Tony McCoy.”
There remains some uncertainty about what horse Geraghty will ride in the Champion Chase with Colm Murphy waiting on the rider’s availability for Big Zeb.
“I was talking to Barry and he just needs to talk to Mr (Nicky) Henderson and the owners of Petit Robin,” the Co Wexford trainer said. “We will keep our horse ticking away and probably take him somewhere for a gallop before we head over.”
Murphy’s other festival contender this year will be Voler La Vedette in the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle as the trainer pursues a third festival success after Brave Inca’s 2006 Champion Hurdle and the same horse’s victory in the 2004 Supreme.
Sublimity defeated Brave Inca in his 2007 title defence and the 10-year-old looks like making it back to Cheltenham again this year with trainer Rob Hennessy happy he has the former champ back to his very best.
Sublimity was another to work after racing at Leopardstown on Sunday under regular rider Philip Carberry where soft ground didn’t stop the horse impressing.
“It should be the best ground he has raced on all year Cheltenham and that will be a help. We will keep him in cotton wool and hope we can get him there in the same form,” Hennessy said.
