CHELTENHAM ROUND-UP:TIGER CRY, one of Ireland's six festival winners in 2008, will attempt back-to-back victories in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual at Cheltenham, writes BRIAN O'CONNOR

It will be a third attempt on the two-mile race in total for the Arthur Moore-trained horse who was runner-up to Greenhope in 2006.

This year the Grand Annual will be the very last race of the festival and Moore is hopeful of a memorable finale despite Tiger Cry being rated 9lb higher this time.

“He won it last year so it makes sense to go back. It’s an ideal race for him as they go a really good gallop,” the Naas trainer said yesterday.

“There is nothing else really for him so we have concentrated on this. Obviously it will be tougher for him being 9lb higher than last year,” Moore added.

He also had news of his Grand National runner-up King Johns Castle who could warm up for a return to Liverpool this Saturday at Navan in the Athboy Hurdle.

“He is quite forward but the main objective is to get a run into him and that will be either this weekend of next weekend,” Moore said. “I wouldn’t want to run him on heavy ground so that could be the deciding factor.”

Hurricane Fly is ruled out of festival

HURRICANE FLY will miss out on the Cheltenham Festival after failing to recover quickly enough from a splint problem. The Willie Mullins-trained star had been disputing favouritism with his stable companion Cousin Vinny for the William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle but will now be kept in reserve for the Punchestown Festival in April.

“He was not progressing as we hoped in the last few days so we have taken the decision not to go to Cheltenham,” Mullins said last night.

Hurricane Fly has enjoyed a hugely-impressive season so far with Grade One victories in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse and the Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas.

However, he was forced to miss out on the Deloitte at Leopardstown when found to be lame the day before the race.

Mullins was initially hopeful of getting the ex-French horse back in time for his festival target but has run out of time.

Edward O’Grady is Ireland’s most successful current trainer at the Cheltenham Festival and while he hopes to have up to five runners this year, his travelling team could be without Catch Me.

The Hatton’s Grace winner is an entry for both the Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle but while stressing yesterday no final decision has been made, O’Grady did admit he is favouring a tilt at the Aintree Hurdle in April for his Grade One winner.

“It’s certainly not written in stone but I am starting to lean towards Liverpool with him. I would dearly love to go to Cheltenham but Aintree looks to tick more boxes in terms of trip and a flat track,” the Co Tipperary-based trainer said.

Catch Me is as low as 16 to 1 in some lists for the longer race at Cheltenham and is a 20 to 1 shot for the Champion Hurdle in which he finished sixth last year behind Katchit.

O’Grady hopes to be represented by up to five runners with Jumbo Rio on course to try to emulate Northern Game’s success in the Triumph Hurdle 25 years ago.

“Jumbo Rio seems to be fine and is on target but Solstice Knight won’t go and I’ll run him instead at Navan on March 15th,” O’Grady said. I’m waiting to see what the handicapper does with Tranquil Sea before deciding what I will do with him.”

Leopardstown’s post-race gallops session takes place just nine days before the start of the festival and Willie Mullins revealed he won’t be represented as heavily as he has been in the past at the Foxrock venue. “I’m not sure I will have as many as usual. I might take up a few to jump and maybe a few of the bumper horses who haven’t run for a while,” the champion trainer said yesterday.

The 2005 Pierse Hurdle and Totesport Trophy-winner Essex could make his first appearance in a year and a half at Leopardstown on Sunday. The Michael O’Brien-trained star has had tendon problems but his trainer confirmed yesterday: “We have entered him at Dundalk on Friday and at Leopardstown and I would say we are more likely to go on Sunday. The conditions of the race there suit him well and he is definitely ready for a run.”

Essex is not entered for Cheltenham this year but O’Brien is hoping to prepare him for Fairyhouse and Punchestown instead.

If Catch Me does wait for Liverpool, he is likely to run into the triple Aintree Hurdle hero Al Eile who has recovered from injury sufficiently to put him back into contention to equal Morley Street’s four victories in the race.

Al Eile had a suspensory ligament problem which initially threatened to rule him out for the entire season.