Racing: French to bid for Irish hurdle

Nicky Richards will break new ground next Sunday when he sends The French Furze over to Ireland for the Grade One AIG Europe Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown.

The French Furze has found just one too good for him in his four outings this season, most recently beating all but Rodock in the Grade Two Red Square Reloaded Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock on Saturday.

The Greystoke trainer explained: ‘‘He will be my first runner in Ireland. My father Gordon sent one or two across including The Grey Monk, Man Alive and Current Gold but I don’t think he had a winner over there.

‘‘People might say we are being optimistic, but there are not a lot of races for The French Furze and you have got to think of the owners and campaign the horses where you can - and I have got to run him at left-handed tracks.

‘‘The prize money is good even for the placed horses over there and they pay the travelling expenses so why not have a go - you win nothing when they are stuck at home in their boxes.’’

He went on: ‘‘On soft ground he just can’t manage to get the good horses off the bridle for even a furlong and yesterday Rodock just sat waiting on him.

"So it would be nice to get some better ground for him and the Irish race may not be that hot this time, though I can’t say I was over-pleased to read that Geos is going over there too.’’

Reflecting on Telemoss’s run when runner-up to Jair Du Cochet in Haydock’s Grade Two Premier Hurdle, Richards went on: ‘‘Tony (Dobbin) felt he would have perhaps been beaten about four lengths rather than nine by Jair Du Cochet had he not hit the last hurdle.

‘‘It was a good run - the winner is a very good horse you know - and we will probably go to Cheltenham now. He would have a lot of weight in the handicaps so he is likely to go for the Bonusprint Stayers’ Hurdle, and if we had some good ground he could run a big race.’’