RACING:DENIS O'REGAN will team up with the Irish Grand National heroine Bluesea Cracker in Monday's Welsh National if the Chepstow track escapes the grip of the weather.
The south Wales course is currently under snow and Bluesea Cracker’s Cork trainer, James Motherway, intends to consult with the track authorities about the chances of racing going ahead over the coming days.
“Provided they go ahead over there she will be travelling. They have a good covering of snow at the moment, so I’ll be talking to them,” Motherway said yesterday.
“Denis will ride because Andrew (McNamara) will be tied up at Leopardstown that day.”
Notre Pere became the first Irish-trained winner of the Welsh National when successful two years ago.
Trainer Terence O’Brien is also chasing a big-race success on Monday with the Troytown runner-up Glenquest one of the 12 to 1 co-favourites for the €190,000 Paddy Power Chase. “He actually had an infection of the leg after the Troytown which meant him missing two and a half weeks, which I would have liked to have got into him. But he has been good since and I’m hoping he’ll strip fit.
“Looking back at Navan, the first and second were six and 12 lengths clear of the third and fourth and I couldn’t have hoped for any better. We just met one too good on the day. Three miles is his trip and perfect for him over fences.”
Glenquest currently shares Paddy Power favouritism with Jack The Bus and Becauseicouldntsee.
Top jump jockeys Davy Russell and Robbie Power will be able to ride over the Christmas period after having their four-day bans for a controversial start to a race in Cork last week reduced by a day at a Turf Club appeal.
Both riders didn’t jump off in a hurdle race at Cork on December 13th when they anticipated that the Turf Club starter would call a false start.
However, starter Phillipe Lafarge allowed the runners to go and in a subsequent inquiry Russell and Power got four-day suspensions for breaches of Rule 40.
