Citizenship in good order ahead of festival
The bookmaking chain dreamed up the eye-popping initiative this year to mark the inaugural Boylesports Day at Leopardstown at the end of January, offering €100,000 to the winner of the Boylesports.com Hurdle if the horse followed up with victory in any race at Cheltenham, and €50,000 if the Bet On Your Mobile Novice Chase victor could do likewise.
Citizenship is going for the big one after flying up the home straight from 14th to first to claim a thrilling success in the Boylesports.com Hurdle. The Beat Hollow gelding – once trained in England by Pat Eddery – worked with the rest of Harrington’s Cheltenham team as she hosted the press at Commonstown Stud in Moone, yesterday morning.
The six-year-old won’t do much more between now and an engagement in either the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle or the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Hurdle.
“He’s very easy to train” said Harrington, who has handled seven winners at the festival so far. “Apart from today, he’s done one bit of work and I don’t know if he’ll do any more. The less you do with him the better.
“He’s out in the field every day and does his own thing. We might go to The Curragh one day next week, but really, he trains himself.”
Harrington’s other intended runners at Cheltenham — Oscars Well (Champion Hurdle), Steps To Freedom (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle) and Jetson (Pertemps Hurdle) also worked, along with possibles, The Bull Hayes (County Hurdle), Jezki (Champion Bumper) and Saludos (Grand Annual Chase).
Harrington had been planning to run Citizenship in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last month but he didn’t get into the race. Unsurprisingly, given how easy the horse appears to be to prepare, she is unconcerned by missing out on the contest.
“It won’t make any difference to him. He’ll go there fresh and we just have to decide which race he’s going to run in.”
The same applies to Sir Des Champs. Mullins issued a bulletin yesterday confirming the Gigginstown charge’s welfare as he chases the €50,000 bonus on offer having stayed on well to win at Leopardstown.
The son of Robin Des Champs, who was victorious in the Martin Pipe last March, will run in either the RSA Chase or the Jewson Chase.
Harrington meanwhile believes Steps To Freedom is a stronger horse now than when he was last seen winning at Cheltenham in November.
Since that performance, Steps To Freedom has been towards the head of the betting for the William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and while Harrington decided against a prep run on the all-weather at Dundalk, she remains very happy with his condition.
“I think he’s got a good bit stronger, he’s tightened up a bit, even from his trip to the Curragh yesterday,” said Harrington.
“I toyed with the idea of running him at Dundalk, we even entered him there, but I decided against it.
“He had a busy enough Flat season and then won his three races. It was always the plan to give him a break and I’m very happy with him.”
Harrington also saddles a live outsider in the Stan James Champion Hurdle in Oscars Well.
“Oscars Well would show you nothing at home. You have to be careful not to overcook him as you think he needs more work but he doesn’t,” she added at a media morning at her yard.
“His jumping has got very slick, he’s improving all year and I hope he’s coming to a peak.
“The Champion Hurdle is obviously a very hot race and I’d be delighted if he could finish in the first three.
“We have the option after of going over two and a half miles at Aintree and he’ll go chasing next year, when he’ll probably be a two-and-a-half-mile horse.”
