RACING:NOTRE PERE is set to miss the Ladbrokes Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday due to the prolonged dry spell. The 10-year-old requires plenty of cut in the ground and is highly unlikely to get his conditions.

His trainer Barry Potts is now looking to the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup which the horse won on heavy ground in 2009 when he was with Jim Dreaper, as long as conditions ease appreciably.

“It looks highly unlikely that he’ll run on Monday,” said the Co Tyrone handler.

“There is the Punchestown Gold Cup but we’ll play it by ear with him as it’s not looking good at the moment. It’s one of the driest springs I’ve seen in a while.

“We won’t abuse him on quick ground and if we look after him we’ll have him for next year.

“We’ll look at staying chases next season – the likes of the Welsh Grand National (a race he won in 2008).”

Another trainer with severe reservations about the ground is Mervyn Torrens, who has warned he will not risk Hughies Grey if the going is on the firm side.

The Omagh trainer may assess conditions for himself before deciding whether to run his progressive novice chaser.

“I would love to run him but I’m just scared of the ground. If there is anything fast about the ground he won’t run,” said Torrens.

“He has won on heavy ground and while it wasn’t too bad at Navan last time they weren’t getting anything like the weather then that we are now. The sun is beaming down.”

The grey scored in Grade Two company at Navan last time having taken the Ulster National on his previous start and has gone up 26lb in the ratings since the start of the season.

“The further they go the better for him and he’s in great order. I’m actually sitting on him as we speak!” added Torrens.

“He’s only seven and if it was a situation that it was his last chance or something we might take a chance but he’s only a novice.

“If he doesn’t run he’ll go out to grass and could come back for the James Nicholson Chase (at Down Royal).

“Personally I don’t like watered tracks as they can be very patchy. I might take a drive down to Fairyhouse on Sunday and have a look for myself before making a decision.”

Meanwhile, John Oxx is to allow Zanughan to take his chance in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown on May 8th following a cosy victory on Sunday.

The son of Azamour confirmed the promise of his Curragh third on his debut two weeks earlier when taking a 16-runner maiden over 10 furlongs at Navan.

Zanughan holds entries in the Investec Derby and the Irish Field St Leger.

“The Derrinstown is the plan. It might be a bit ambitious but we might just go there,” said the Currabeg handler.

“The timing is right, it’s a three-week interval, he’s entered in it so we’ll let him take his chance.

“He may get a mile and a half in time, but he’s zippy enough and handy enough for a mile and a quarter. Hopefully he’ll go a bit further when required.”

Kempes will bid to make amends for his Cheltenham flop in the Gold Cup at Punchestown on May 4th.

Willie Mullins’ Irish Hennessy winner was quietly fancied in last month’s Gold Cup but never featured and eventually had to be pulled up by Tony McCoy.

Kempes took Grade One honours as a novice at the last Punchestown Festival and Mullins would be delighted if he could now turn the corner.

“I was very disappointed with Kempes at Cheltenham – he didn’t run at all in the Gold Cup,” said the Co Carlow trainer.

“We have given him a break and hopefully we will have him back, ready for Punchestown again.”