RACING:QUITO DE La Roque and Jessies Dream will both miss the Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday. The former, 9 to 4 second-favourite with Paddy Power behind Quel Esprit after Jessies Dream had been ruled out earlier in the day, scoped badly yesterday.
Quito De La Roque had last been seen finishing third to Synchronised in the Lexus Chase over Christmas. His trainer Colm Murphy said: “He definitely won’t run, he scoped badly. It’s just a little hiccup really, we weren’t 100 per cent happy with him when he was ridden this afternoon, so we had him scoped to see what the problem was and he has a bit of mucus in him.
“I’m not sure what we will do now, I’ll speak to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary, of owners Gigginstown House Stud) – this was Plan A so I’m not sure what Plan B will be.”
Prior to his run in the Lexus, the eight-year-old Quito De La Roque had beaten Sizing Europe in the JNWine.comChampion Chase at Down Royal in November.
Jessies Dream, meanwhile, could miss the rest of the season after failing to please trainer Gordon Elliott in his final piece of work ahead of the weekend.
The nine-year-old has not run since finishing second to Bostons Angel in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Elliott said in his Betfair blog: “Following very disappointing display in his last piece of work before the Hennessy Jessies Dream will not run in Leopardstown on Sunday.
“As I said in yesterday’s piece, he was in great form and schooled really well but today there was no sparkle so at this stage, with time against us, I’m not sure he will make the track at all this season.”
Meanwhile John Butler’s principle of surrounding himself with the right people looks to be helping his training career to flourish and the bookmakers will be treating the Irishman with more respect after the Kempton success of Silver Linnet yesterday.
The 39-year-old Butler was a long-serving employee of Aidan O’Brien and rents boxes in Newmarket from Barney Curley, the highly astute trainer whose gambling exploits are the stuff of legend.
Last month Butler sent out a jumping winner from his first runner and it took him only four tries to get off the mark on the Flat in the Free Entry For Betdaq Members Handicap.
Silver Linnet, who moved from the Quinlan brothers and was back from a 330-day lay-off, was tried in a visor instead of her usual headgear and tore her rivals apart from the front. And it looks as if the stable are not averse to a tilt at the ring either, as she was sent off a well-backed 15 to 8 favourite.
“I got my licence in January and I’ve only got eight in at the moment,” said Butler. “It’s onwards and upwards I hope. She has got lots of pace and we’ll probably keep her going and run at Wolverhampton on Monday.”
Explaining his background, he added: “I spent 12 years with Aidan O’Brien, both as an assistant and I also rode winners for him. He’s definitely the best, and I wouldn’t be taking any horses from him! “After that I managed a stud but I thought I’d try training, get a few horses and make a go of it.” Jockey Adam Kirby, who had given Silver Linnet a clever ride, was given a two-day ban (February 22nd-23rd) for hitting her in the incorrect place.
Nicky Henderson declared himself pleased with conditions after walking the course at Newbury ahead of this weekend’s highly-anticipated fixture.
“The course looks in great nick and to be fair you could race on the Flat track today,” he said.
