THE USUAL hopes for a dry and settled run in to the Punchestown festival could be put on the back-burner this year as bad weather may yet see the superstar pair of Kauto Star and Master Minded travel to Kildare.
Paul Nicholls yesterday stressed that a stretch of warm weather could yet see both the Gold Cup hero and the Champion Chase winner sent out to grass for the summer without another run.
“A lot of it is weather dependent – on what happens over the next two or three weeks,” Britain’s champion trainer admitted. “If we get a warm, settled spell they will go out to grass. If it is cold and wet, and they are still in training, Punchestown is a possibility: no more than that. Nothing has been ruled in or out at the moment.”
Tom Taaffe hopes to run Tumbling Dice in Saturday week’s Aintree Grand National and could also run his 2008 Cheltenham festival winner Finger Onthe Pulse over the big Liverpool fences in the Topham Trophy.
Taaffe supplies a likely looking winner of today’s opener at Thurles with Knocklayde Vic boasting the best piece of form in the two-mile maiden hurdle, a third to Kandari and Gentleman Jeff at Fairyhouse earlier this year.
Templers Hall has topweight in the Opportunity Chase but he is a formidable operator around Thurles with three victories. He has to concede a lot of weight to Real Overdrive, however, whose defeat of Monte Cinto at Fairyhouse last time has been boosted by the runner-up since.
