Brassil plays waiting game with Nickname
The trainer wants soft ground for the French import, who has created a big impression in his two outings over fences at Leopardstown.
After beating subsequent winner Our Ben by 10 lengths a month ago, Nickname successfully stepped up to Grade Two company in spectacular style by beating Father Matt by 11 lengths two weeks ago.
Now he could move up to Grade One class against other promising young Irish chasers over two miles and one furlong.
“I won’t decide until Friday morning when I see what the ground report is. He wants it soft,” said Brassil.
“We’ve just been doing the usual with him since his last run and he seems fine.”
Should conditions be unsuitable at the weekend.
“If he doesn’t run on Sunday, there’s a race in two weeks, the Dr PJ Moriarty Chase, a Grade One for novices, on Hennessy day,” added Brassil.
Nickname is generally available at 10-1 for the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, but Brassil will only consider the Festival if there is plenty of cut in the ground for the seven-year-old.
“If they get a monsoon he’d probably go to Cheltenham. He’ll need one to run over there as it’s usually good ground. The Arkle is the only race I’ve put him in over there,” he added.
The going at Leopardstown is described as yielding to soft on the chase course and yielding, yielding to soft in places on the hurdles track.
Although the forecast for the rest of the week is favourable, the track is not expected to dry out much more.
“It’s due to stay dry until Sunday. I don’t think it will dry out a huge amount. It’s very calm and cold and I don’t think there’ll be anything dramatic,” said racing manager Tom Burke.
“We’ve had a lot of cloud cover over the last few days. It’s still very cloudy again today and the Met Office are saying cold conditions are going to remain.
“Whether we get frost or not depends on how much cloud cover we get, but everything’s perfect at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Michael Hourigan expects Arteea to create a favourable impression in the Baileys Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The seven-year-old lowered the colours of the useful Wild Passion at Naas earlier in the month and is reported to be in fine fettle ahead of the two-mile-one-furlong event.
“It’s a good race and it’s competitive but I think he’ll run a big race,” said the Co Limerick handler.
“It’s a better race than it normally is but my horse is going the right way.
“He didn’t run well at Christmas (he finished fourth behind Missed That in the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase at Leopardstown) but I fancied him to beat Wild Passion and he did it, and did it well,” he said.
Arteea is currently a best priced 40-1 with Ladbrokes to win the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Paul Nolan is leaning towards sending Irish Independent Arkle Trophy hope Accordion Etoile to Punchestown on February 5.
Although the seven-year-old is also being considered for an assignment at Naas, Nolan is “90% sure” his gelding will line up for the Byrne Group Plc Tied Cottage Chase instead.
“We are favouring the Tied as we feel Punchestown is a far better track at drying out,” said the Co Wexford handler.
“It will be reasonable ground and, at this stage, we would love to get a run into him just for experience alone.”
Accordion Etoile, who also holds a Queen Mother Champion Chase entry, was last seen when winning the Independent Newspaper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham in November and is vying for Arkle favouritism with Racing Demon.
Elsewhere, Newmill is likely to go to Cheltenham for the Queen Mother Champion Chase without another run.
The eight-year-old booked his place in the two-mile showpiece on March 15 when winning the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles a week ago.
“He’s in good form. I would think he will go directly to Cheltenham without a run,” said trainer John Joseph Murphy. “He is best when fresh so we will keep him that way and fingers crossed for the big day.”
