Harchibald, Shakespeare on target for ‘Fifth’
Harchibald’s trainer Noel Meade had been worried about the prospect of testing ground at the track - an issue which was also concerning Royal Shakespeare’s handler Steve Gollings.
However, clerk of the course James Armstrong reports the going to be good at Newcastle, meaning both runners are likely to take their chance.
“The chase course measures 7.8 on the Turftrax scale, with the hurdle course at eight, which means exactly good ground,” said Armstrong. “It is drizzling at the moment but we are due some rain tomorrow night, perhaps five or six millimetres. It will be damp generally on Friday, but we could get some more showers.
“If the forecast is correct, we could end up being good, or good to soft in places. It would not hurt to have some rain, but obviously we do not want bucketloads.”
Meade is hoping the ground will stay as it is until Saturday’s race. “He will run,” said the County Meath handler. “The ground is reasonable at the moment and they reckon it won’t be heavy. The better it is, the happier we will be.
“We don’t want firm ground or anything, but we just didn’t want to run him on heavy, winter ground.”
Meade is hoping that the five-year-old’s regular pilot Paul Carberry will be able to travel over for the Grade One event, as he was on board for the gelding’s recent victory in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown.
If Carberry cannot make the rde, crack amateur Niall ‘Slippers’ Madden could be booked.
“He is very well,” Meade added, “and if he is available, Paul Carberry will ride, otherwise ‘Slippers’ will come over.
“We were not surprised when he won last time as we have always thought the world of him.
“The first time he ran this season, the ground was terrible at Tipperary when he finished a long way behind Solerina.”
Tom Doyle will take the plum ride on Royal Shakespeare in the race.
Gollings had been undecided as to whether his five-year-old would line up for the Grade One contest, with Robert Thornton and Barry Geraghty, who have ridden him in the past, both unavailable. However, Gollings said: “I have spoken to Paul Webber this morning and he has kindly released Tom Doyle - his stable jockey - to ride the horse.
“Subject to good blood results, the tests of which have been done today, Royal Shakespeare will run.
“He has done his final piece of schooling and I am quite happy with that.
“I will have a lengthy discussion with Tom, and he will no doubt talk to those who have ridden him in the past, and collectively we will discuss the race and the horse.
“I’ll be delighted to get him back to the track, although I do wish we had been able to find an easier starting point for him.
“In the grand scale of things, Royal Shakespeare is not affected by ground conditions but I didn’t want to run him in extreme conditions on his first run.”
