NOEL MEADE has decided not to risk Johnny Setaside in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury tomorrow, leaving this year's Jameson Irish Grand National winner, Feathered Gale, as the lone Irish trained representative.
"He needs it soft and I felt they weren't going to get it," said Meade. "He could possibly run at Fairyhouse on Saturday but his main target now will be the Welsh National."
Mark Dwyer, approached to ride, Meade's charge, will now partner Dato Star in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and expects to be fit after bruising his arm in a fall on Wednesday.
Running and riding arrangements for this weekend's main events remained unresolved last night as connections opted to wait and see whether forecast rain fell at Newbury and Newcastle.
As The Grey Monk hardened to 6 to 4 favourite for the Hennessy with Coral, doubts increased about the participation of Billygoat Gruff. As a result Adrian Maguire was preparing for a possible switch to Newcastle to ride Castle Sweep in the Fighting, Fifth with Richard Dunwoody, retained to ride Alderbrook there provided it rains, likely to take the opposite route to partner Challenger du Luc.
Billygoat Gruff is now 6 to 1 "with a run" with Coral. Unguided Missile is 5 to 1 and 7 to 1 with a run with Ladbrokes while the latter firm also offer Suny Bay at 8 to 1 with a run.
The best prices of the remaining leading contenders are now 6 to 4 The Grey Monk, 6 to 1 Challenger du Luc, 7 to 1 Coome Hill, 11 to 1 General Crack, 14 to 1 Feathered Gale.
Conditions remained officially good at Newbury yesterday. There is a nice cut in it. Rain is due tonight and they say it could be quite heavy," reported clerk of the course Richard Pridham. But only a "substantial" downpour would persuade David Nicholson to run Billygoat Gruff, who sent his assistant Alan King to inspect the track yesterday morning.
"I would call it in places on the fast side of good," King said, to which Nicholson added: "Billygoat Gruff will only run if there is substantial rain. I doubt if we would leave him in the field overnight in case it hasn't rained by Friday. If Billygoat Gruff runs Adrian will go to Newbury, otherwise he will be switched to Newcastle."
Rain is also essential for one time favourite Suny Bay, who underwent a trachea wash yesterday morning. But Paul Nicholls, already represented by General Crack, was not prepared to wait with Belmont King and ruled out that challenger.
Gordon Richards later disclosed that he has offered the ride on Unguided Missile to Adrian Maguire and hinted that the horse may not run if Maguire is not available.
Prolific winning grey Dextra Dove, the mount of Chris Maude, is a definite starter but will reportedly need the outing. "We planned to get a racecourse gallop into him two weeks ago but the track cancelled it and I feel he will need the run," said trainer Simon Earle. "But he is over all his problems: now, which he actually had when he was winning, so we are hoping for quite a good season".
