Big names to miss Hennessy
The former, 9-4 second-favourite with Paddy Power behind Quel Esprit after Jessies Dream had been ruled out earlier in the day, scoped badly this afternoon.
Quito De La Roque had last been seen finishing third to Synchronised in the Lexus Chase over Christmas.
His trainer Colm Murphy said: “He definitely won’t run, he scoped badly.
“It’s just a little hiccup really, we weren’t 100 per cent happy with him when he was ridden this afternoon, so we had him scoped to see what the problem was and he has a bit of mucus in him.
“I’m not sure what we will do now, I’ll speak to Michael and Eddie (O’Leary, of owners Gigginstown House Stud) – this was Plan A so I’m not sure what Plan B will be.”
Prior to his run in the Lexus, the eight-year-old Quito De La Roque had beaten Sizing Europe in the JNWine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal in November.
Jessies Dream, meanwhile, could miss the rest of the season after failing to please trainer Gordon Elliott in his final piece of work ahead of the weekend.
The nine-year-old has not run since finishing second to Bostons Angel in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Elliott said in his Betfair blog: “Following very disappointing display in his last piece of work before the Hennessy Jessies Dream will not run in Leopardstown on Sunday.
“As I said in yesterday’s piece, he was in great form and schooled really well but today there was no sparkle so at this stage, with time against us, I’m not sure he will make the track at all this season.”
Meanwhile Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Steps To Freedom remains on course to have a run on the Flat at Dundalk on Friday week.
As a smart performer on the level who is unbeaten in three starts over hurdles, Jessica Harrington’s six-year-old has plenty going for him with the Festival in mind, not least that he is already a Cheltenham winner having struck there in November.
Harrington has given her exciting youngster a winter break since, but he will soon be back in competitive action.
“He did a breeze on Friday and worked yesterday (Tuesday) and I’m very happy with him,” the trainer told At The Races.
“He’ll run in Dundalk on Friday week in a mile-and-a-half race and he then may go to Leopardstown for a gallop after racing on March 4. It depends how he comes out of the race in Dundalk.
“He was out in the field for six weeks and then we brought him back in and we’ve just been building him back up. He seems to be fresh and well.
“The great thing was we got him to Cheltenham in November and he travelled over well and he’s got experience of the course now. So when he goes back there in March, he’ll know where he is.”
Another major Festival hope for Harrington is Oscars Well, who would have gone very close to winning last season’s Neptune Novices’ Hurdle at the meeting but for making a hash of the final flight.
His latest run behind Hurricane Fly in the Irish Champion Hurdle was his best of the season and Harrington is hopeful her charge can get closer to the reigning champion granted better ground for the Champion Hurdle itself.
“He stepped up again and he’s been improving all winter,” Harrington added.
“He has a high cruising speed and I’m not saying he’ll ever beat Hurricane Fly, but as I’ve said to the owners, with some reasonable luck we’ll run into a place in the Champion Hurdle.
“I think he ticks all the boxes as he likes good ground, he seems to like Cheltenham and he loves races that are run at a fast pace.
“Hurricane Fly is a very good horse. He’s probably one of the best hurdlers we’ve seen since Istabraq, if not better.
“He’s won 10 Grade Ones now and that’s an amazing record.”
