Meade runners set to return
Ireland’s champion trainer did not have a runner last week after both Aitmatov and Gem Daly disappointed in high-profile races at Leopardstown.
Meade saddled only one winner in the whole of January having been in irresistible form in the earlier months of the season.
And while he is unwilling to highlight the exact problem, he is confident enough to start having runners again.
“I think I’ve found a little bit of a problem but I don’t want to say too much as I just haven’t confirmed everything yet,” said Meade.
“We’re happy to run a few (at Down Royal) and see what happens.
“We’ve no sick horses and even though they have been running moderately, we have nothing that is sick so we are going to run a few I would say.
“They all look great and seem to be bouncing. I might have put my finger on it and hopefully we have reversed it.”
Due to the desperate conditions in Ireland at the moment, Meade is looking to give his two Champion Hurdle possibles, Harchibald and Jazz Messenger, a spin on the level.
“The plan for both Harchibald and Jazz Messenger is to give them a run at Dundalk on the all-weather,” he added.
Meade says Muirhead is likely to swerve the Deloitte Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.
The five-year-old leapt to prominence in the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after beating Cork All Star in the Royal Bond and is now set to head straight to the Cheltenham Festival opener.
“I’m going to leave him in it, but at the moment I think I’m swaying towards not running him and leaving him until Cheltenham,” said Meade.
“With the way things are at the moment, I would hate him to run and run bad. I’ve had a discussion with the owners and we’ve decided that we are probably going to sit and wait, but he will be left in it.
“He’ll be fresh for Cheltenham. He’s jumps well and he’s not a hard horse to get fit.”
