Arkle on the cards for Garden
Nicky Richards has confirmed his stable star Monet’s Garden is likely to take his chance in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy – as long as there is cut in the ground.
The eight-year-old grey has two effortless victories to his name over fences this season, but it had been thought he would bypass the meeting in favour of the Aintree Grand National Meeting.
However, recent rainfall in the Cheltenham area means the ground is currently good, good to soft in places and if it stays that way, Richards says he will take make the line-up.
“If it keeps raining and it looks like it’s going to be on the soft side of good, he’ll probably run in the Arkle,” Richards told Racing UK.
“There’s half a dozen very good novices in it this year and our fellow would be one of those.
“The ground has always been something of a concern with him, but he is in very, very good fettle and if the ground is right we are going to have a go.”
Monet’s Garden’s Cheltenham record does leave something to be desired, having been a beaten odds-on favourite in the Relkeel Hurdle in December 2004 and only fifth in the Cleeve Hurdle a month later.
But Richards is convinced the course will not prove a problem.
“He didn’t run a bad race in the Cleeve, he finished fifth and wasn’t beaten very far. It was his run there the time before that worried us the most, but we’ll find out on Tuesday if he doesn’t like the place,” he added.
“He has sat in behind horses over hurdles so he doesn’t have to lead. But he’s run in two races in the North which wouldn’t have been the strongest in the world and he has had to make most of the running from halfway, he doesn’t have to though.
“Tony Dobbin knows all about him and we’ll see how we go.”
