Salmon on the menu at Haydock
Trainer Michael Hourigan is now relishing the prospect of his stable star taking on totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Kicking King, impressive Charlie Hall Chase victor Ollie Magern and company in the Betfair Chase at Haydock Park on Saturday.
“He worked well over a mile and six furlongs and we are all ready to go now,” said the Conty Limerick trainer.
“We’ll give him a pop over a fence in the morning and he’ll probably travel to England on Thursday morning.”
Beef Or Salmon has endured a troublesome autumn starting with a security alert which lead to the abandonment of Down Royal on November 6 which put paid to his chances in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase.
Hourigan’s charge was then set for a spin on the Flat in the November Handicap at Leopardstown a day later but was withdrawn shortly before the race.
“He banged his head in the lorry at Leopardstown and I just wasn’t happy with him,” said Hourigan.
“I couldn’t take the chance of running him.”
Despite Beef Or Salmon’s disrupted preparation, Hourigan expects him to create a favourable impression in the Betfair Chase.
He added: “He goes on most ground but he’s probably more effective on soft ground. He’ll appreciate getting a good toe in at Haydock.
“My horse is well and I just need a bit of luck.
“I’m not 100 per cent certain who rides him yet but I will know in the next 24 hours.”
Meanwhile, Kicking King continued his build-up to Haydock with a routine piece of work after which the Gold Cup hero was reported to be in tip-top shape.
“He’s fine and spot on for the weekend,” said his trainer Tom Taaffe. “He just did normal exercise this morning.”
The Co Kildare handler believes the seven-year-old will be all the better for his reappearance four weeks ago, when he suffered a shock defeat by War Of Attrition over two and three-quarter miles at Punchestown.
“He’ll have come on for the first run of the season and he’s very adaptable trip-wise,” added Taaffe.
Kicking King is marginally odds-on with most firms to put himself in line for the Betfair bonus with victory in the three-mile test on Saturday.
The two other legs in the Betfair Million are the Stan James King George VI Chase and the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, both of which Kicking King won last term.
One horse unlikely to take up the challenge is Hand Inn Hand, who is more likely to run instead in the totesport Peterborough Chase the same afternoon.
The nine-year-old is engaged in both the three-mile Betfair Chase at the Merseyside track and in the feature race at Huntingdon over an extended two and a half miles.
Trainer Henry Daly is leaning towards Hand Inn Hand making his seasonal debut in the Peterborough Chase in which he finished fourth 12 months ago, as the shorter distance should suit and the opposition will not be quite as daunting.
“The plan is for him to run on Saturday. It’s more likely to be in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon rather than at Haydock,” said the Ludlow trainer.
“He does stay three miles but I believe two and a half is his optimum trip and the company at Haydock does look tougher.”
: 4/5 Kicking King, 4/1 Ollie Magern, 8/1 Beef Or Salmon, 10/1 Keen Leader, 12/1 Kingscliff, 14/1 Celestial Gold.
: 10-11 Kicking King, 7-2 Ollie Magern, 8-1 Beef Or Salmon, Keen Leader, 9-1 Kingscliff, 12-1 Celestial Gold, 20-1 Lord Transcend, Take The Stand, 25-1 Royal Auclair, 40-1 Hand Inn Hand, 1000-1 Happy Hussar.
