Central House - poor record at Cheltenham (Getty)
GROUND LOOKS CENTRAL ISSUE
After his sensational lapse when riding Central House at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting jockey Roger Loughran reclaimed the headlines, for the right reasons this time, when partnering the Dessie Hughes-trained gelding to win the Grade 2 Tied Cottage Chase at Punchestown on Sunday. The rider's personal triumph coincided with a return to form for his mount, just two weeks after a dismal run in a Fairyhouse contest won by fellow Champion Chase candidate Fota Island. Hughes is still unsure what happened to Central House at Fairyhouse but insisted that the horse had been restored to form within a couple of days, and now plans to send him straight to Cheltenham for a rematch with Moscow Flyer whom he beat in the Fortria Chase at Navan in November. In contrast to the reigning champion two-mile chaser, Central House has a poor record at Cheltenham, having unseated his rider in the Arkle two years ago and finished a remote sixth in last season's Champion Chase, but Hughes believes that he is up to the challenge this time. A preference for soft ground may ultimately count against Central House at the Festival, but better going in March would favour the novice Accordion Etoile who finished third in Sunday's race, a performance reckoned a satisfactory trial for the Arkle Trophy by his trainer Paul Nolan. Last year's Champion Hurdle fourth had not run since beating Tamarinbleu at Cheltenham in November, and held every chance against much more experienced opponents until tiring in ground that was too soft for him. He should be a major player back in the novice grade in the Arkle. On a day that provided the Noel Meade with more than his fair share of reverses Watson Lake was a shade disappointing in taking fourth place, a head behind Accordion Etoile, though the trainer had feared that he might not be at his best on his first start since a period on the sidelines due to a foot-infection. He will need to step up considerably from this to have any chance in the Champion Chase, and the Ryanair Chase might be a more realistic alternative despite a possible stamina doubt. Meade saddled three beaten favourites on Sunday's card, taking a significant blow when the Royal Bond winner Iktitaf failed to uphold Fairyhouse form with Mounthenry in the Grade 2 Byrne Group plc Novice Hurdle. Considering that he returned with a bad cut to his near-fore knee it was a gritty performance by Iktitaf who was beaten only a length and a half, but the injury will rule him out of the Supreme Novices', in which Meade still has Sweet Wake as a leading contender. Cheltenham is not on the agenda for the Charles Byrnes-trained winner, while former useful Flat performers Tolpuddle and Sublimity, Listed winners who had been successful first time over hurdles, did nothing to advertise their claims, though a veterinary excuse later emerged in Sublimity's case. There was a more positive pointer to Cheltenham when the four-year-old Unfuwain gelding Shady Willow made a winning debut to put himself firmly into calculations for what looks an increasingly powerful assault by Willie Mullins on the Cheltenham bumper. The grapevine says that he has yet to reveal his full hand, but he has already established some strong lines to current Irish bumper form. Meanwhile, the stable's grip on the juvenile hurdling scene was augmented when Quatre Heures won impressively at Fairyhouse on Saturday to earn himself a place in the Triumph line-up alongside stablemate Mister Hight.
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