Go Native set for gallop at Leopardstown
Last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner is in line for a £1m payout if again striking at the Festival as the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown in within touching distance.
The seven-figure sum is available to any horse who can win the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in November, Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle and the Champion Hurdle in the same season – and Go Native has the first two legs safely locked away.
Meade said: “We will probably take him away to Leopardstown rather than Navan to work as the ground will be better for him there.
“We worked Harchibald at Navan 10 days before he ran in the Champion Hurdle and he ended up pulling himself up on heavy ground!”
Go Native is a general 6-1 chance to scoop the bonus after beating some of the leading protagonists at Newcastle and Kempton, with Meade having rested the seven-year-old since his success on December 26.
“We stopped with him after Christmas and didn’t train him through January,” explained Meade.
“He was hacking every day but didn’t do any fast work as we slowed him right down.
“We have started quickening him up again and we now need to get him to Cheltenham in good form.”
Go Native scampered away from the field turning for home in the Supreme last year, only to tire on the run-in under Paul Carberry and cling on by a neck from Medermit.
“Paul murdered them turning in and Medermit got close, but we were in front too long,” Meade added.
“If we get there in the same form this year we’ll hold on to him longer and the quicker they go, the better it will be for him.
“Having got to this stage we just wanted to get there now and hope he travels well again.”
Meade meanwhile has warned fans of Pandorama that a quick surface at Cheltenham next month could dent his chances in the RSA Chase.
Since joining Meade’s County Meath team in early 2008, the seven-year-old has landed eight of his nine starts and is a best-priced 14-1 to slay the challenges of Punchestowns and Long Run at Cheltenham.
Pandorama has scored on all three of his outings over fences and claimed the scalp of Weapon’s Amnesty when last seen at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Meade said: “He is a very good horse and has only been beaten once, and that was by Mikael D’Haguenet.
“I wasn’t that happy with him before he ran at Christmas. I took him to work at Dundalk and he didn’t work too well, but I put that down to Dundalk.
“He didn’t travel like he can during the race at Leopardstown but I am very happy with him now.
“We gave him a break after Christmas and have been building up him since then.
“He has done well and we gave him an easy time last year with this season in mind.
“The only negative would be if the ground was really good as he likes an ease.”
Paul Carberry is facing a spell on the sidelines after spraining his ankle in a fall from Champus in the Trim Maiden Hurdle at Naas on Sunday.
The rider was unseated when Champus swerved and slipped up after the third flight, but any worries over broken bones have been laid to rest.
Carberry is Meade’s stable jockey and the handler is keeping his fingers crossed the jockey makes it back to the saddle in time for next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
He said: “Paul is very sore and can’t put any weight on his ankle.
“Thankfully it is swollen rather than broken and he is going for some physio.”
Our Vic heads 21 possible runners in the Blue Square Gold Cup at Haydock on Saturday.
The 12-year-old put up a fantastic performance to win last month’s Peter Marsh Chase at the Merseyside venue and is one of two potential representatives, along with The Package, from the David Pipe operation.
Richard Lee’s Welsh National third Le Beau Bai currently heads the ante-post market, having recently won over hurdles at Bangor, while 2008 winner Miko De Beauchene and Grand National hero Mon Mome are interesting contenders for Venetia Williams.
Snoopy Loopy was retired after disappointing in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby back in October, when under the care of Peter Bowen.
However, owner Dai Walters has decided to bring the 12-year-old back into training.
He is set to run at the weekend for new trainer Andrew Boxhall.
“As long as there is no significant rain he’ll probably take his chance,” said Boxhall.
Willie Mullins’ Arbor Supreme, Ballytrim and Pomme Tiepy are the three Irish-trained entries.
