Thursday, March 11, 2010
DUNGUIB heads 34 horses left in at the confirmation stage for the Spinal Research Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.
Last season’s Weatherbys Bumper winner, trained by Philip Fenton, is seen by many as a banker and is odds-on in the ante-post betting to get the Irish off to a flier in the opening race of the four-day feast.
Fenton said: "Dunguib is grand and all has gone very smoothly, no problems thankfully.
"He’ll possibly jump a few flights on Thursday morning, before he heads off.
"We’ve taken him out of the Champion Hurdle and he goes for the Supreme.
"I’ve been very happy with him since Leopardstown, he’s jumped several hurdles since and he’s jumped them well."
Paddy Power will donate £1000 to Spinal Research for every length Dunguib wins by, and Fenton added: "If he wins half a length that will do for us, but hopefully he can do better than that for Spinal Research."
Main market rival to Dunguib is totesport Trophy hero Get Me Out Of Here, owned by JP McManus and trained at Jackdaws Castle by Jonjo O'Neill.
"He came out of his last race well. His cut has healed up and he’s in good form," said McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry of Tony McCoy’s mount.
"He got a bit of a gash at Newbury but he’s fine again now and Jonjo is very pleased with him. He goes there in good shape."
Another leading fancy is the Philip Hobbs-trained Menorah, despite suffering a shock defeat at Ascot on his latest start.
The other main contenders have all stood their ground for the curtain raiser, including Oscar Whisky, Blackstairmountain, General Miller and Dan Breen.
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