Harchibald to miss Kempton

NOEL MEADE has reported that Harchibald will not be travelling over to Kempton to contest the Christmas Hurdle.

The mercurial seven-year-old suffered a slight setback when being prepared for the ‘Fighting Fifth’ Hurdle at Newcastle last month.

In ruling out Harchibald from a clash with Straw Bear at Kempton, Meade revealed he could be represented by Jazz Messenger, a winner at Thurles yesterday.

“I didn’t see Jazz Messenger’s race but I was told he jumped very well, and he could go for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton,” said Meade.

“That would be instead of Harchibald. He is in great order and is in full work and is 100% sound, but he won’t be ready in time for that race.

“I’d have to do too much with him between now and then to get him ready for the race and with the type of muscle injury he has had, that would do him more harm than good,” he told At The Races.

“If we ran him a week too soon it could put him back another month.

“He’ll now be aimed at something in January, but I’m not sure what yet.

“In one respect it has done him no harm to miss this part of the season as the way the ground has been he wouldn’t have run anyway.”

Meanwhile Central House will bid for his third Grade One success when he tackles the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.

The reliable nine-year-old has not won at the highest level since landing the two-mile-one-furlong feature from Native Scout back in 2004, but has subsequently been successful in five Grade Two events.

Looking further ahead, handler Dessie Hughes has also underlined the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on January 20 as a potential port of call.

He said: “Central House is fine and he runs over Christmas in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown.

“The Victor Chandler is a possibility for him – I decided to put him in it anyway.”

Central House finished a distant fourth behind Kauto Star in the Tingle Creek last time but had been in contention before being badly hampered at the eighth fence. “He came out of Sandown fine and he actually didn’t have much of a race there,” Hughes added.