Noble Prince fine after Powers fall
Paul Nolan’s charge looked like following up his Cheltenham Festival victory under Tony McCoy before getting in too close to the second-last fence.
“He’s 100%, I’m delighted he’s come out of it so well,” said Nolan.
“He ate up his pot and strode out to his chin this morning without a care in the world. There’s not a bother on him.
“I’m not sure about Punchestown. We’ll just assess him over the next couple of days.
“AP (McCoy) thinks he’d have won all right. It’s not as if he’s a horse who doesn’t find off the bridle.
“He had loads left but there’s no point commenting on things like that, the fences are there to be jumped.
“This lad has shown how good he is now. Yesterday there were some very decent horses beaten an awful long way. We’ll find out next year if he’s up to running in the Grade Ones.”
* PETER TOOLE, who has still not fully regained consciousness after a terrible fall at Aintree on April 9, is suffering with a chest infection at the Walton Centre in Liverpool.
His father Jim said that he son is in for a long fight if he is to regain his full health “He’s very ill – he’ll open his eyes but he’s only semi-conscious and he’s not come round yet. It’s going to be a long haul and the doctors can’t really do much to assess his condition until he regains consciousness.”
* ELIZABETH POWER, a sister of 2007 Aintree Grand National winning jockey Robbie, is in hospital after bleeding was found on her brain.
Elizabeth was one of three Irish riders to fall at Badminton Horse Trials cross-country and remains in hospital for observation after parting company from Kilpatrick River.
“She had a small bleed to the right side of her brain and had bruising to the other side,” Robbie said.
“She is in a normal neurological ward at the hospital but will be under observation for 48 hours. The doctors are not worried about her but she is very sore.”
