Salmon a possible for Pillar Chase
Beef Or Salmon could pay a visit to Cheltenham early next year as he builds up to another crack at the Gold Cup in March.
Michael Hourigan’s young star fell at the third fence in this year’s renewal of the blue riband and will make his reappearance over fences in the Clonmel Oil Chase on Thursday, when he is set to clash with Edredon Bleu.
“I want to get Thursday out of the way first before making any plans about where he night go over Christmas,” the trainer told The Times.
“But at this stage I would say that the Pillar Chase in January might well feature in his programme.”
Hourigan is also confident that Beef Or Salmon suffered no ill effects after his fall at the Festival.
“It was a nasty fall, but he came out a fortnight later and won at the Curragh,” he said. “So, no, you would hardly say that he was mentally scarred.”
Unsuitable ground conditions have led to Beef Or Salmon missing more than one possible engagement recently, and the trainer warned: “When he won the (Clonmel) race last year, he had run twice on the Flat, so he might be a little short on Thursday.”
