IRISH RACING NEWS:TRAINER PETER Casey still expects Jack The Bus to be fit enough to attempt back-to-back victories in Sunday's Ladbrokes.com Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan despite a scare.
The 11-year-old, who has not raced since that success, was found to be lame after taking a tumble while schooling yesterday.
However, Casey is still optimistic the horse will have recovered in time to take his chance. “He had a fall schooling this morning, so we’ll have to see how he is,” said the Co Meath handler.
“He was a bit lame afterwards but if he’s all right he’ll be running on Sunday and in all probability he will be. Alan Crowe won the race on him last year and if he’s available he’ll ride him again.”
Also in line for the race is the Christy Roche-trained Groody Hill. The five-year-old, owned by JP McManus, won handicap chases at Punchestown and Wexford in the space of five days late last month.
“He’d be my our main hope in the Troytown. It’s a step up in class so we’ll see how he performs,” said McManus’s racing manager, Frank Berry.
A 31-strong entry also includes Paul Nolan’s Alpha Ridge, the Dessie Hughes-trained Rivage D’Or, Willie Mullins’ Some Target and Gordon Elliott’s Tharawaat.
Meanwhile, Kempes will finally get the chance to warm up for a crack at the John Durkan Memorial Chase with a run over the smaller obstacles at Cork today.
The dual Grade One winner will have a sharpener in the two-mile Follow Us On Facebook Hurdle after the meeting was rescheduled from Sunday.
The John Durkan back over fences at Punchestown on December 11th will then be the next target for the Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old, who was pulled up in his final two starts last term.
“It’s his first run back and he’s in good form. The race will bring him on and we’re hoping he runs a nice race,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus. “The John Durkan is the plan after this.”
Kempes has five rivals including the Dermot Weld-trained New Phase and Tony Martin’s Psycho, who, significantly, will be ridden by Ruby Walsh.
