News and preview: Barry Geraghty will be the third different professional jockey to ride Total Enjoyment when she tries to keep her unbeaten record over jumps in Sunday's Betfair Royal Bond Novice Hurdle.
Ruby Walsh, who rode the mare to win her first start over hurdles at Down Royal earlier in the month, is committed to the Willie Mullins-trained Major Vernon in the Fairyhouse Grade One so Total Enjoyment's trainer, Tom Cooper, has moved quickly to snap up the services of the current champion jockey.
"I wasn't short of offers, but Barry Geraghty will ride her," said Cooper yesterday. "She has improved an awful lot for her run in Down Royal and will strip a lot fitter at the weekend. She should be much sharper," the trainer added. "The ground is soft at the moment and I would prefer better going but she will still run."
The only man to ride Total Enjoyment more than once in her five-race career is the amateur Derek O'Connor who rode in her first three bumper starts.
Jim Culloty then took over for the famous festival bumper success at Cheltenham last March. He is out with a hand injury until next month but Cooper said yesterday: "We hope Jim will be back at Christmas and all being well he should be back on her."
Despite the firming up of riding arrangements for the weekend there is some opposition to Total Enjoyment among the bookmakers with Cashmans leaving her as a 7 to 4 favourite despite some strong support.
Instead the horse being cut in the ante-post betting is the Tom Foley-trained Royal Paradise who is now an 11 to 2 shot from 7 to 1 to maintain his own unbeaten hurdling record.
Cashmans report that Solerina is now an odds-on 4 to 5 shot to win back to back Hatton's Grace Hurdles with Brave Inca her main market threat at 7 to 4. Ruby Walsh will ride Rule Supreme in the race that could have only five runners with doubts about the Noel Meade-trained Power Elite.
Aidan O'Brien's Sunday focus will be on the other side of the world where Powerscourt is continuing his preparation for the $4.5 million Japan Cup. Powerscourt did some laps of the Shiroi quarantine track yesterday under the eye of O'Brien's representative, Pat Keating. "He's in good form and we're not giving him any strong gallops before running because he ran in the States in the Breeders' Cup. Basically we're just maintaining his fitness," Keating said.
Jamie Spencer will fly out to Tokyo today after recovering from the kick in the stomach he received before a race in Aqueduct, New York, last weekend. "He is fit and ready to go. There was never a doubt about him travelling," said Spencer's agent, Eddie Byrne yesterday.
Noel Meade yesterday confirmed that Harchibald will take his chance in the Pertemps "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday. The Co Meath trainer was worried about the prospect of testing ground for the five-year-old at Gosforth Park, but with conditions currently good, he looks very likely to travel.
"He will run," said Meade. "The ground is reasonable at the moment and they reckon it won't be heavy. It is good at the moment and the better it is, the happier we will be."
Home fans this afternoon have Thurles to look forward to and there will be considerable interest in the opening Beginners Chase where Kahuna has his third start over fences. The first two both ended in falls and the last was particularly infuriating as he overjumped the final obstacle in Clonmel when clear of the eventual winner Scarthy Lad.
Ruby Walsh is on board today instead of Kahuna's regular rider Shay Barry and any sort of clear round should see this highly talented horse home in front.
Walsh is also on Sunami Storm in the novice hurdle and this one should have a fitness edge on the unbeaten That's An Idea who hasn't run since Killarney in May.
