As he did at Newbury. He's been wearing ear plus during the preliminaries and his races for a while now, but they recently decided to take them out at the start as they may be making him too relaxed.
As he did at Newbury. He's been wearing ear plus during the preliminaries and his races for a while now, but they recently decided to take them out at the start as they may be making him too relaxed.
Long Run will have a schooling session with jumping guru Yogi Breisner next week in preparation for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup. Nicky Henderson's seven-year-old also had his first workout since his victory at Newbury two weeks ago on Tuesday morning.
"He came out of Newbury well and did his first bit of work this morning," said the Seven Barrows handler.
"He'll have one session with Yogi Breisner next week and won't see a fence between now and then.
"He'll wear earplugs in the parade (at Cheltenham) and they will come out at the start
Long Run will have a schooling session with jumping guru Yogi Breisner next week in preparation for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.Nicky Henderson's seven-year-old also had his first workout since his victory at Newbury two weeks ago on Tuesday morn
Which is what strontium said. I think he's worn them since he got wound up before the RSA but they felt they may be making him too relaxed now and experimented taking them out at the start at Newbury and were clearly happy with what they found.
Which is what strontium said. I think he's worn them since he got wound up before the RSA but they felt they may be making him too relaxed now and experimented taking them out at the start at Newbury and were clearly happy with what they found.
Nicky Henderson defends Sam Waley-Cohen ahead of Gold Cup bid
• Trainer calls for media to temper criticism of amateur jockey • Runner will have jumps schooling session before Cheltenham
Will Hayler at Lambourn guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 28 February
The amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen has received an emphatic vote of confidence from the man who will give him the leg-up into the saddle for next month's Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival as Nicky Henderson reported Long Run, the defending champion, to be ripe and ready to settle a score with his old foe Kauto Star.
Owned by Robert Waley-Cohen, the chairman of Cheltenham racecourse and a long-standing patron of Henderson, Long Run was given a fine ride by his son, Sam, in the 2011 running of jump racing's most prestigious race.
However, defeats for Long Run in this season's Betfair Chase and King George VI Chase, along with an incident at Fakenham where the jockey took the wrong course and the stewards failed to accept his excuse, have led to Waley-Cohen's stock falling.
"I'm not going to criticise the press but we all know the thing where they build them up to knock them down," said Henderson, when asked at his media day at Lambourn on Tuesday whether a recent victory at Newbury had helped the jockey's confidence as much as the horse's.
"He was the golden boy, the amateur, the Corinthian, the part-timer who won the Gold Cup. But when things go a little bit wobbly they get on his back. He's done nothing wrong – it was a great ride at Newbury. Say no more.
"I've total confidence in the horse and in Sam riding him. It's not as if Robert is going to put another jockey on him anyway, but why would he? The two of them get on really well together."
Henderson appeared genuinely relaxed despite the inevitable stresses that come with the rapid approach in a fortnight of the Festival, at which he could have as many as 40-plus runners.
Despite horses of the calibre of Sprinter Sacre ("the big, black aeroplane"), Oscar Whisky ("he's got a real chance") and Binocular ("I know he's not everybody's favourite, but I love him") all having evident claims in championship contests, it is Long Run who remains the totem for Henderson's huge team.
"He'll have one more school, one more session with Yogi [Breisner, on his jumping], and then his work is done. Kauto Star seems to have become two years younger all of a sudden this season. I don't doubt that this is a different Kauto to the one we saw last season.
"He beat us with a turbo charge at Haydock and then something similar [at Kempton], but they are speed tracks. You tend to wind the pace up more steadily in the Gold Cup. If he's going to head for home a long way out at Cheltenham, you've got two and a half furlongs further to go and you're running up a hill to do it. It might be harder for him and easier for us."
Long Run will wear ear plugs in the parade before the race at Cheltenham but, as at Newbury this month, they will be removed at the start. The trainer played down their significance.
"Maybe he was just getting too relaxed when we kept them in [for the race] earlier this season but it's not as big a deal as you think," he said. "I could tell you a lot of horses you wouldn't know about who run in ear plugs."
The stable jockey Barry Geraghty will visit the yard to ride work on Friday and school a number of the leading contenders, including Long Run and Simonsig, about whom a decision as to which race he will contest at the Festival will be left until after the weekend.
"His owner, Ronnie Bartlett, and I can't make our minds up," said Henderson, who requires two further winners to surpass Fulke Walwyn as the most successful ever trainer at the meeting.
"You can't believe he won't stay the two miles and five furlongs [of the Neptune Novice Hurdle] but it's hard to get away from the pace and speed he has. These are the sort of things that keep you awake when Cheltenham is around the corner
Nicky Henderson defends Sam Waley-Cohen ahead of Gold Cup bid• Trainer calls for media to temper criticism of amateur jockey• Runner will have jumps schooling session before Cheltenham Will Hayler at Lambourn guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 28 February
Mouse Morris, a trainer with a reputation for having his horses primed for the big occasion, is adamant that First Lieutenant can return to peak form at Cheltenham provided the ground is right.
In 2011, Morris' classy son of Presenting won a second Grade One on the spin when collaring Rock On Ruby in the very last stride of what was a memorable renewal of the Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle.
An old-fashioned chasing type, First Lieutenant was widely expected to improve for the switch to fences, but could finish only second to fellow Gigginstown Stud-owned Last Instalment on his last outing at Leopardstown over Christmas, and has won just two of his five starts over the bigger obstacles to date.
sidelined
With Last Instalment now sidelined through injury, Gigginstown's retained rider Davy Russell looks to have been spared a difficult choice in the RSA Chase, a race the Cork pilot won on Weapon's Amnesty in the same maroon and white silks two years ago.
First Lieutenant is currently a best-priced 7/1 third-favourite for the three-mile-one-furlong Grade One and Morris feels that trip will suit him even better than the two-mile-five of the Neptune.
"Everything is good with him and if he is sound he'll be running in the RSA," the Fethard handler said. "I think he has always been a horse who has looked like he wants three miles on good ground over fences -- last year he was only just getting going after the last.
"If you look at the form book, it usually says about him, 'doing best work at the finish', and I hope it's the same. I just wish they'd ease off with the watering."
With good to firm patches in the official Prestbury Park going, track officials felt compelled to begin watering a week ago in an effort to ensure that safe jumping ground prevails at the Festival. While Morris may prefer if nature took its course, his Ratoath colleague Robbie Hennessy will be glad of the intervention.
Hennessy is set to saddle the soft ground-loving Rubi Light -- a facile winner of the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park 11 days ago -- in the Ryanair Chase. The exciting seven-year-old finished third in the Grade One 12 months ago, and is as low as 9/2 market leader to go two places better this time.
Speaking after watching Rubi Light work at The Curragh yesterday, Hennessy declared his delight with the French import, and suggested he could take in a gallop at Leopardstown this weekend. Traditionally, racegoers stay on after Sunday's fixture at the Foxrock venue to watch Cheltenham-bound horses work, though Hennessy may opt for a lower profile outing.
"He couldn't be any better," he said. "He was at The Curragh this morning and did a bit of work up the Old Vic gallop, and we couldn't be any happier with him.
"He might go to Leopardstown on Monday morning. I prefer going then rather than the Sunday after racing, as there's not much of a crowd there or the cameras. The ground is good there at the moment, but if it comes up too good he might go to Dundalk for a spin instead."
Jessica Harrington also expressed her satisfaction with Steps To Freedom and Oscars Well after they were put through their paces on The Curragh, though John 'Shark' Hanlon revealed at a Festival preview in Kildare on Monday night that he's unlikely to have a runner at next month's gala. Hanlon's horses have been under a cloud of late, his last winner being Hidden Cyclone -- which has since been beaten -- at Leopardstown on December 29.
Ferdy Murphy, who rarely leaves Cheltenham empty-handed, is turning to leading female jump jockey Lucy Alexander to replace injured stable jockey Graham Lee on at least two of his horses.
The Wexford native has booked Alexander, who recently broke Lorna Vincent's seasonal record of 23 winners for a woman, for Charingworth in the Byrne Group Plate and De Boitron in the Grand Annual.
Murphy has saddled 10 winners at the Festival in his own name, but when he trained for Geoff Hubbard he teamed up with Gee Armytage to win the Mildmay of Flete with Gee-A in 1987.
Meanwhile, Donald McCain could let Peddlers Cross join some of his stable companions for a gallop after racing at Bangor today. Last season's Champion Hurdle runner-up won his first two starts over fences at the circuit before being beaten by Sprinter Sacre, which is set to reoppose in the Arkle at Cheltenham, at Kempton over Christmas.
"Overturn and Weird Al will definitely go to Bangor, along with a few others," said McCain. "I'm still not sure whether Peddlers will or not. I just need to talk it over with Jason (Maguire, jockey) and we'll decide in the morning."
McCain did confirm, however, that Grand National winner Ballabriggs will run at Kelso on Saturday, rather than Newbury or Doncaster.
- Richard Forristal
By Richard Forristal irishindependent.ieWednesday February 29 2012Mouse Morris, a trainer with a reputation for having his horses primed for the big occasion, is adamant that First Lieutenant can return to peak form at Cheltenham provided the ground
KAUTO STAR is rated 50-50 to make the Gold Cup in 15 days after trainer Paul Nicholls revealed the record-breaking chaser suffered an "awful fall" schooling.
The Clive Smith-owned 12-year-old fell when schooling under Ruby Walsh last week and with the four-time King George winner failing to show as much improvement as Nicholls would like, his chances of being fit for the festival hang in the balance.
Speaking on his Betfair column, Nicholls said on Thursday: "Kauto took a tumble when Ruby schooled him at the end of last week. I say tumble, but in truth it was a pretty awful fall.
"Clive [Smith] was obviously consulted at all times and we immediately got Kauto checked over. Even though he trotted sound, it was plain to see that he was sore afterwards.
"He has had the best veterinary and physiotherapy care possible but we hoped that he would be showing more improvement by now.
"I spoke to Clifford [Baker] after returning to the stables after a Cheltenham media day on Wednesday, and he said Kauto still wasn't fully recovered, remained quite stiff, and in his wise words he felt he was 'only 50-50' to make the festival at this stage.
"So I immediately spoke to Clive and we felt that it prudent that we put out this update today."
Ladbrokes reacted to the news by making Long Run their even-money favourite (from 9-4), while Paddy Power suspended their Gold Cup market
Kauto Star 50-50 for Gold Cup says Nicholls By LEWIS PORTEOUS racingpost.com KAUTO STAR is rated 50-50 to make the Gold Cup in 15 days after trainer Paul Nicholls revealed the record-breaking chaser suffered an "awful fall" schooling.The Clive Smith-
There is no easy way to say this, but Kauto Star is only 50-50 to make the Cheltenham Gold Cup after a fall schooling.
As a trainer, it is all too easy to sit on information when it comes to your horses.
They have so many minor worries, niggles and setbacks - most of which turn out to be nothing of long-term importance - that you could be constantly updating on each of your string, to the press and the public, on a hourly, daily and weekly basis.
But our policy at Ditcheat is always to be up front and honest about the well-being of our horses - such as the coughing scare last week - and especially so when it is a public, and once-in-a-lifetime horse, such as Kauto.
In my opinion, the public have a right to know. In many ways, he is as much theirs, as Clive Smith's and ours.
So I am sad to report that his participation at the Cheltenham Festival is in doubt.
Kauto took a tumble when Ruby schooled him at the end of last week. I say tumble, but in truth it was a pretty awful fall.
Clive was obviously consulted at all times and we immediately got Kauto checked over. Even though he trotted sound, it was plain to see that he was sore afterwards.
He has had the best veterinary and physiotherapy care possible but we hoped that he would be showing more improvement by now.
I spoke to Clifford after returning to the stables after a Cheltenham media day yesterday, and he said Kauto still wasn't fully recovered, remained quite stiff, and in his wise words he felt he was "only 50-50" to make the Festival at this stage.
So I immediately spoke to Clive and we felt that it prudent that we put out this update today.
Next week is crucial for the horse.
He is still cantering each day but I can assure you right now that Kauto Star won't be going anywhere near Cheltenham unless we are all convinced - Clive Smith, myself, Clifford and the team here - that he is 110 per cent right.
Even if there is the slightest doubt in our minds, then he stays at home. No question. We will do what is best for the horse. Always have, always will. End of story.
But, along with Desert Orchid, I suppose if ever a horse has captured the public's love and imagination it is Kauto Star. We saw that when he won the Betfair Chase at Haydock.
It even had this old cynic bursting with pride for the horse, fighting back the tears on my proudest and most emotional day as a trainer.
So, of course, it will be devastating for all concerned if Kauto Star wasn't able up to line up on March 16 and try to win a third Gold Cup. Because he has been in the form of his life this season.
But one thing I think we have all learned with Kauto is never to write him off.
Yes, having this setback so close to the Festival is clearly a major concern, but don't confuse Kauto's kind and inquisitive nature with softness.
He is a hard so-and-so too - you learn to be when your best mate is Denman - and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he was back firing on all cylinders at home before Cheltenham, and went on to beat Long Run for a third time this season.
But at this stage his participation does hang in the balance.
I know a lot of the press read this column, so I would just like to take this opportunity to say that this will be my only public comment on this subject today and I have nothing more to add at this stage.
But I will give daily updates on the horse from tomorrow onward
Paul NichollsThere is no easy way to say this, but Kauto Star is only 50-50 to make the Cheltenham Gold Cup after a fall schooling.As a trainer, it is all too easy to sit on information when it comes to your horses.They have so many minor worries, ni
Betfair Customer Services 01 Mar 12 18:15 Please be aware that due to doubts surrounding Kauto Star’s participation in the Cheltenham Gold Cup we have cancelled all unmatched bets in the following markets;
Chelt 16th Mar / Gold Cup Chelt 16th Mar / Gold Cup TBP Chelt 16th Mar / Gold Cup W/O Long/Kauto Chelt AP Specials / Championship Acca Cheltenham Festival Specials / PF Nicholls v WP Mullins Cheltenham Festival Specials / PF Nicholls Winners Cheltenham Festival Specials / R Walsh v B Geraghty Cheltenham Festival Specials / R Walsh Winners Cheltenham Festival Specials / Top Jockey Cheltenham Festival Specials / Top Trainer Jump Specials / Top NH Trainer 2011-12
We have taken the view that the participation of Grand Crus in the RSA Chs may be impacted by the news, so we have also cancelled unmatched bets on those market
Betfair Customer Services 01 Mar 12 18:15 Please be aware that due to doubts surrounding Kauto Star’s participation in the Cheltenham Gold Cup we have cancelled all unmatched bets in the following markets;Chelt 16th Mar / Gold CupChelt 16th Ma