Harrington joy at Macs form
The seven-year-old delighted trainer Jessica Harrington as he worked over a mile and a quarter and is now firmly on course for the Cheltenham Festival.
“I was very happy. He just breezed up over 10 furlongs on the Old Vic with his regular rider,” she said.
“That was his final piece and we will just keep him ticking over now. He is due to sail over on Saturday night.”
Macs Joy was fifth in the Champion Hurdle last season and although he failed to hit the mark on his first two starts this campaign, he bounced back with a decent second behind Brave Inca in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle in January.
The Religiously gelding then sealed his place as 7-2 favourite with William Hill when winning at Gowran last time.
Macs Joy is set to travel over to England with stablemate Moscow Flyer, who will be bidding for a third win in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
The 12-year-old will tackle the two-mile event at Prestbury Park despite disappointing Harrington in a gallop after racing at Leopardstown last Sunday.
“He seems to be fine. There’s nothing clinically wrong with him so we will see how he goes,” the County Kildare handler told PA Sport.
“He will be going over on Saturday too.”
Moscow Flyer is a 7-2 shot with Hills to complete his hat-trick of titles.
Meanwhile Justified has been ruled out of the Arkle Challenge Trophy next Tuesday. Dusty Sheehy hope had been due to line up in the two-mile event, but scoped badly after working at Gowran Park last week and will now sidestep the Festival.
“You can’t go to Cheltenham if you’re not totally right and we had to take the decision and give it a miss,” explained Sheehy.
The seven-year-old has won three of his five starts over fences this season but was a little disappointing when only third behind Missed That at Leopardstown in January.
Sheehy added: “It’s disappointing but that’s racing. We will look towards either Fairyhouse or Punchestown for him now.”
