A relieved Edward O'Grady looked at Ned Kelly after the horse's impressive six-length victory at Fairyhouse yesterday and grinned: "It will be nice to dream."
Cashmans bookmakers reduced the dream to figures and make the unbeaten-overhurdles novice a 14 to 1 shot for the 2002 Smurfit Champion Hurdle, but the Co Tipperary trainer looks to have much the best of the deal.
Despite O'Grady's pre-race concerns about race fitness, Ned Kelly travelled beautifully throughout the Winning Fair Champion Novice Hurdle and needed just a couple of smacks from Norman Williamson to put distance easily between himself and Grinkov.
"I don't know if the owner (John Magnier) will like to take on Istabraq next season, but I would like to keep the horse over hurdles for a while. There will be a lot of races Istabraq won't run in if he has another light campaign," O'Grady said.
"I was so uptight about today. This is a real relief. I know a person shouldn't be disappointed when winning, but I was a little disappointed after the last time he ran. That's more like the real McCoy," he added, before pouring some cold water on the prospects of Ned Kelly reappearing under unfavourable terms in a Grade Two race back at Fairyhouse next month.
"I will discuss it with the owner, but I would be inclined to leave it. He has done well, won five in a row and he would have to give 9lb away if we ran him again. If he doesn't run, it will be nice to dream," he said.
Willie Mullins has a tough call this morning to see if Micko's Dream joins stable mate Florida Pearl in the big race, but the horse already has an £80,000 pot in the bag after shattering the illusions of some supposed speedsters in the Irish Independent Chase.
"I've been running him over the wrong trip for years!" Mullins quipped. "He has a bit of a flat pedigree which suggests some speed, but I didn't know he had that much speed."
Mullins added: "I will decide in the morning if he runs again, but he didn't have a hard race there and it looked over from a fair way out. I had been looking at the Irish National, but if there is a nice two and a half mile race at the same time I might reconsider."
The Irish National on May 6th is also one of a series of options for Sackville, who faced his only danger after the last in the novice chase as a medical attendant ran onto the course and only just avoided colliding with the horse.
The attendant had been helping to treat the stricken Paul Moloney after that jockey had taken a bad fall at the fourth fence and the incident had a good ending all around as Moloney later returned to the track with a clean bill of health after x-rays at Blanchardstown Hospital.
Sackville's other options include the £75,000 Captain Christy Novice Handicap at Leopardstown on Friday and the Power Gold Cup, but trainer Frances Crowley said: "I would love to go for the National. My father (Joe) owns a half share and knowing him he'll want to run in the lot!"
Frankie Dettori has been re-routed to ride Tobougg in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 5th.
He had been due to ride Street Cry for Godolphin in the Kentucky Derby on that day, with Craig Williams taking the prime ride on Tobougg in the first Classic of the year.
But following Street Cry's injury this weekend and subsequent withdrawal from the first leg of the American Triple Crown, the decision has been taken to switch Dettori.
