Avalon on course for hurdling bow
Former Aidan O’Brien inmate Avalon could make his hurdling debut for Jonjo O’Neill at Newbury on Wednesday.
The four-year-old, who has only competed three times on the Flat, finished third in last season’s Group Two Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in August but was last seen trailing home a disappointing fourth at Newmarket in September.
New owner Patsy Byrne is happy with the Kingmambo gelding’s progress under O’Neill and has entered him for the Berkshire Stand Bookshop Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
“Jonjo says he’s been schooling well, but it’s impossible to know whether he’ll take to this game,” said Byrne.
“If he doesn’t then we’ll just go straight back to the Flat and, let’s be honest, he’s hardly exposed.
“Aidan wouldn’t have let him go if they thought he was going to be a world-beater as a four-year-old, and they were really disappointed with him at Newmarket in September, when he was fourth of six in a Listed race.
“Basically, Newbury will be a fact-finding mission. We honestly don’t know where this season will take us with him but he’s got plenty to offer.
“We’ll be winning races with him, simple as that,” Byrne told the Racing Post.
