Sir Oj - options open for Naas victor.
OPTIONS OPEN FOR SIR OJ
By Alan Sweetman
Sir Oj, winner of the inaugural running of the Robin Cook Memorial at Cheltenham, and the novice Nickname served up an exciting race in the Newlands Chase at Naas on Sunday, with the more experienced Sir Oj emerging on top on the climb to the finish. The winner's Cheltenham target has yet to be decided by trainer Noel Meade, who will choose between the Ryanair Chase and the Racing Post Plate and is also looking ahead to a possible Grand National bid. Former French-trained hurdler Nickname, who burst a blood vessel in the Arkle at Leopardstown after winning his first two races over fences in spectacular fashion, produced a reassuring performance to put himself back in line for the principal late-season novice races at Fairyhouse and Punchestown. His requirement for soft ground means he he is unlikely to be seen at Cheltenham, and in any case trainer Martin Brassil will almost certainly want to give him a little more time to recover from a hard race. The Nas Na Riogh Chase ended up being a fairly tame affair after odds-on favourite Father Matt had exited when leading six from home, suffering a relapse of the jumping deficiencies that were apparent when he first went over fences. Second-favourite Kill Devil Hill was a long way below his best and finished a poor third behind easy winner Lordofourown who had finished in rear in the DR PJ Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown after a good run against Missed That at Navan. Forget The Past, one of the leading staying novices in Ireland last season, earned himself a run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup by winning the Osmosis Ireland Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse in emphatic style. Reappearing only a week after his victory in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran, the Michael O'Brien-trained eight-year-old had race-conditions very much in his favour and was almost immediately in total control after going to the front at the fifth-last. The Becher Chase winner Garvivonnian warmed up for a Grand National bid with a respectable second, and the big one at Aintree could also be on the agenda for last season's Irish Grand National third Marcus Du Berlais who hinted at a return to form by staying on to take third. In Compliance, a stablemate of Forget The Past, made a bright start to his chasing career in a novice event at Fairyhouse, winning easily from his only serious market rival, last season's Pertemps Final winner Oulart. O'Brien, who explained that In Compliance's delayed start to the current season was due to problems in getting him to relax satisfactorily, plans to give him another run at Leopardstown on Sunday to see if he might be ready to run in the Arkle at Cheltenham. Meanwhile, Oulart, who is gradually finding his form over fences, is set to run in one of the handicap chases at the Festival. Oulart's trainer Dessie Hughes admitted that he might be forced to reconsider plans to bypass Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle with First Row after the son of Daylami had beaten Bobs Pride by fifteen lengths in Saturday's Grade 3 juvenile hurdle, though the bare result flatters the winner who would have had a much tougher test but for the fact that Cogans Lake fell at the second-last when challenging. In terms of the overall picture in the age group, the main impact of the race was to emphasise the claims of Mister Hight as the leading Irish contender for the Triumph, while it is becoming apparent that Bobs Pride, a Group 3 winner on the Flat, does not yet have what it takes to make his presence felt over hurdles. He does not seem to be getting home in his races, and could be a different proposition on better ground in the spring.
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