Champion National Hunt trainer Noel Meade continues his series of exclusive columns in the ?Offaly Independent? in the build-up to the Cheltenham festival.
Great to be finally back on the winning track
PUNCHESTOWN turned out to be a happy hunting ground last week when the drought finally ended and after 50 days without a winner, two came along in the space of 30 minutes at the Kildare track.
That?s they way things can change in racing, one minute you are up and the next you are down, or visa versa. I?ve said that all along over the last two months, but it was still difficult to deal with the fact that we sent out no winners for almost two months.
It was a great relief to get that first winner again, but there were signs the previous week that things were starting to turn in our favour. The two winners were certainly good news for everyone.
Paul Carberry went on to have an even better day as he reeled off four winners in total, but he had to be at his best to get Clarnazar home in the opening race, a two and a half miles conditions hurdle.
Clarnazar was in great form going to Punchestown as he had finished fourth to Earth Magic on his previous run at Gowran Park. He is entered in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham and we will just have to see how he is handicapped before we can make a final decision on where we go next.
Paul had an easier time on Jered, the horse jumped very well and he handled the ground, I had been a bit worried about that, as he prefers better ground. Last April he won well at Fairyhouse, but I can?t say yet where he will go next as we have to consider what plans his owner has. He is owned by JP McManus and a lot will depend on his overall plans as well.
I was very impressed with the ride Paul gave Michael Grassick?s horse, Moore?s Law, at Punchestown and then he enjoyed a comfortable victory for Tony Martin on Mourne Rambler.
Overall, it was a good week for the Carberry clan as Paul, Philip and Nina all rode winners last week and then they appeared on the Ryan Tubridy show on RTE on Saturday night.
Philip and Paul had a great duel at Naas on Sunday and the win will keep Philip happy for a while. They?re all the best of friends of the track, but they wouldn?t give an inch on it, whether it was a big race like the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham or a maiden hurdle at Naas or Navan.
I think I?m only three winners behind Willie Mullins at this stage, after Sunday?s results, although I would still be in front in terms of prizemoney.
With four days at Fairyhouse and five at Punchestown coming up in March and April and with huge prizemoney on offer, it?s impossible to say who will win the title.
I suppose I?m back in the running anyway and that?s very important after so many blanks, but it could go either way and it will all come down to who strikes the best form between now and the end of the season. All I can say at the moment about it is that I am more optimistic about my chances this week than I was last week.
Obviously, whatever happens at Cheltenham is also important in terms of winners, but those results won?t have any impact on the destination of the Irish trainers? title.
I was very pleased with the way Silverhand ran at Fairyhouse on Saturday after a long lay-off and he will go for the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, I certainly fancy his chances for that.
And I was a bit disappointed that I hadn?t entered Afistfullofdollars for the Gold Cup after the way he won at Fairyhouse on Saturday. He was quite unbelievable in only his fourth run over fences, it was a very good performance when you consider what he was up against. Paul was very impressed with him, he made a mistake at the third last, but now, after winning a good chase I see that he has gone up significantly in the ratings and is off a mark of 157. The horses he beat on Saturday were rated 153 and 154.
That win would appear to limit his chances in handicaps in the future and we will have to go for conditions races. There is a race in Liverpool, which could be a possibility, and another option would be the Guinness Chase at Punchestown.
I suppose I could have placed him more carefully, but then he has had his problems in the past, he is a very brittle horse, I think he has broken more bones than Paul! He (the horse) cracked his pelvis twice, he had two separate stress fractures and a cracked stifle, that?s five different fractures so when he?s fit to run, you have to let him take his chance.
Up to this season he has only managed a run or two every year, but he came out of the Fairyhouse race okay and he is a 10-year-old, so we?ll keep our fingers crossed for him.
Looking ahead to the weekend, we have the start of the flat season and I hope to get a run into Harchibald on the all-weather at Dundalk on Friday night, that?s the plan at the moment and then head for the big one at Cheltenham.
I have a few horses entered in Dundalk, but some of them mightn?t get a run and could end up in Navan on Saturday. Judge Deed is also a possibility for Navan on Saturday, it depends how he works this week, but he has recovered from a small problem and things are looking good for him.
I can?t finish without mentioning Mick The Man, second again, but he was very tired after Saturday?s race and, once again, I was pleased with his run. He gave it his best shot and he wasn?t able to win the race, nothing wrong with that and he will win.
