RACING: Michael Hourigan is waiting to see what ground conditions at the Curragh will be like at the weekend before deciding if Beef Or Salmon will run in the Hackett's Irish Cesarewitch.
The 10 to 1 second favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup has reportedly thrived during his summer break, but a definite start to what may be a momentous campaign has yet to be decided upon.
"I would like a good dig in the ground if he is to go to the Curragh. It all depends on the weather," Hourigan said yesterday.
"But if he doesn't run there, it won't make a lot of difference. It's a long year. We will more or less go the same route as last year, but it is possible he might go for the Nicholson Chase at Down Royal (November 8th). The Durkan is also a possibility," he added.
Beef Or Salmon is already a course and distance winner at the Curragh and has a provisional 8.1 in Sunday's big handicap. Queen's Wharf tops the weights on 9.10.
The Curragh manager, Paul Hensey, yesterday described the track as "good to yielding" with little change expected for the weekend.
"I would say it is yielding on the straight course and good to yielding on the round," Hensey said.
"If the forecast is accurate I can't see much change. We're supposed to get bits of rain every day but not much. I can't see it having a significant effect."
Another Hourigan-trained star who could be in action on Sunday is Native Performance, who has been targeted at Limerick's Munster National.
Native Performance hasn't run since edging out the ill-fated River Cora in the Kerry National at Listowel last month.
Today's jumping highlight, however, is the Grade Three National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran, which stages racing for three days.
Just five line up for the two and a half mile feature, including Strong Run, who reappears for the first time since April 2002.
On official ratings, the Paul Carberry-ridden horse is bottom of the five, and although Strong Run's previous two starts yielded victories over Killultagh Storm, the Mullins horse looks the one to be on today. An eight-length winner from Go Roger Go at Listowel, Killultagh Storm will relish the quick ground conditions and can give jockey Shay Barry a valuable winner.
Barry also has the ride on Blue Corrig in the three-year-old hurdle to look forward to.
A Stakes winner on the flat this season, and a horse who raced off 103 on his last start, Blue Corrig will be very hard to beat if reproducing anything like his flat form.
Battling Mac, an easy six-length winner when gambled on at Listowel, is a stone higher in the handicap for that but could still come out on top ahead of last week's Navan victor, Athlumney Lad. Michael Kinane, however, looks to be on an interesting newcomer, the Sadler's Wells colt Meath, in the opener.
