Falcon to top Champion league?

Soccer personalities will be in the spotlight on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival if Intersky Falcon wins the Smurfit Champion Hurdle.

Alan Shearer will be one of many footballers cheering on the seven-year-old in tomorrow’s showpiece.

The Newcastle striker and former England captain is one of the 30-plus members of intersky.com, the racing club that owns Intersky Falcon in partnership with trainer Jonjo O’Neill’s wife, Jacqui.

Other members include Fulham midfielder Lee Clark and Rangers defender Michael Ball.

The successful syndicate is fronted by former Liverpool and Newcastle star Terry McDermott, who believes that racing offers players an escape from the day-to-day pressures of football.

“I talk to Alan about racing as well as other things, of course, all the time. We have a bit of banter,” said McDermott.

“He’s very keen on racing. It gives him a great release from the pressures of being a top-class footballer.

“Lots of soccer stars have horses - just look at Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, Alex Ferguson and others.

“Lots of soccer clubs organise trips to the races and the Fulham lads will be at Cheltenham tomorrow.”

McDermott is hoping for a big run from Intersky Falcon in the Champion Hurdle.

“Jonjo couldn’t be more pleased with him. As long as he runs the race we know he can and if he gets beaten we have no problem with that,” he said.

And he believes that Intersky Falcon can put behind him a disappointing run in the race 12 months ago when he was only fifth to Rooster Booster.

Intersky Falcon has a victory over the reigning champion Rooster Booster to his credit, when landing this season’s Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, which he was winning for the second year running.

“Some people say that he’s only good on a Flat track. But I don’t believe that,” said McDermott.

“The going was against him in the Champion last year and he wasn’t right going into the race.

“He didn’t run between the Christmas Hurdle last season and the Champion, so that tells you something. Then he didn’t reappear until Tipperary in October.

“It was a good performance when he beat Rooster Booster in the Christmas Hurdle this time and then Rigmarole beat us fair and square at Wincanton and deservedly so.

“If he puts his best foot forward, he’s got a chance. But if you listen to all these pundits no-one gives him a chance. They don’t even have him in the there, but hopefully we can remedy that.”

And McDermott is convinced that last year’s winner is the horse to beat.

“Whatever finishes in front of Rooster Booster will win the race,” he added.

McDermott is not directly involved with football anymore, putting all his energies into the racing club.

“We’ve been very lucky up to now. We’ve been going three years and we’ve had 20 winners,” he said.

“We’ve got a promising young horse in Thyne For Intersky who’s with Jonjo. He’s run in two bumpers and won them both. He’s not running at Cheltenham, we’re saving him for the Aintree bumper.”

Cheltenham is what matters tomorrow, however, and McDermott and friends will be hoping that Intersky Falcon swoops to a famous victory.