Cloy set to clash with Salmon
Hi Cloy will tackle stablemate Beef Or Salmon when he steps up to three miles to bid for his fourth Group One prize of the season in the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown later this month.
The hard-working gelding led home an Irish-trained one-two-three in the John Smith’s Melling Chase on the second day of the Grand National meeting.
He put a disappointing run at the Cheltenham Festival and an even worse effort at Navan just three days later well behind him with a polished performance.
Rising star jockey Andrew McNamara hit the front turning for home aboard the 14-1 winner but the pair were made to work hard for victory as Fota Island stayed on grimly under Tony McCoy.
However, the Michael Hourigan-trained winner dug deep to prevail by three-quarters of a length, while Mariah Rollins completed a clean sweep for the raiding party a further 13 lengths back in third.
Such was the nature of the race that only five of the 11 runners managed to complete the course and so Hi Cloy deserves particular credit for his performance given that he was right with the leaders all the way.
Hourigan said: “The plan was the National but at 11st 9lb I thought he had too much weight. I changed my mind at the last minute but we might run him in it next year.
“He is basically a very good horse on his day and this is his fourth Grade One victory. He was always off the bridle at Cheltenham when he was probably ridden too conservatively and then at Navan the ground was just deplorable.
“Today the plan was to pop him out and he loved it. They went a good lick but he jumped brilliantly.
“I want to run him again at three miles now and he’ll probably run in the Heineken (now Guinness). I think if he was ridden properly he would get the trip all right and he’s a horse with a lot of gears.”
Hourigan confirmed plans for Beef or Salmon, none the worse for his jumping mishap in the previous day’s Betfair Bowl, will now run in a hurdle event at Fairyhouse before going to Punchestown.
“It’s a ’winners-of-one’ over hurdles and so he is eligible and it will help to give his confidence back – it’s either on the Easter Sunday or Monday,” he said.
“I don’t really know what happened yesterday but I’m pleased to be smiling again because I didn’t much feel like smiling then.”
Fota Island’s trainer Mouse Morris took defeat on the chin, having already seen his horse beaten by a horse ridden by McNamara once before when second to Newmill in the Queen Mother Champion Chase last month.
“He ran a good race – he was just beaten by a better horse on the day,” said the trainer.
“He stayed on well and they were well clear of the third – there are no excuses. He’s certainly a better horse on better ground and if he’s OK, we will look at Punchestown or Sandown.”
