Cowboy 'still 50-50' but O'Neill happy

Rhinestone Cowboy’s participation in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham is still in the balance.

A tendon injury has kept the talented 10-year-old off the track since he defeated Iris’s Gift in the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle at Punchestown in April 2004.

“He’s working away grand and doing everything nicely. We just have to go steady with him because it’s like working with a piece of fine glass with his legs, but we are happy with him at the moment,” trainer Jonjo O’Neill told At The Races.

“It’s still 50-50. It’s a long way to Cheltenham, but at the moment we are happy with where we are.

“It’s his legs, he’s just a delicate horse. He’s a real nice horse and a good one so we’ll take our time and if we get there we get there.”

Rhinestone Cowboy is third favourite for the World Hurdle at around 11-2.

The Jackdaws Castle trainer also reported his John Smith’s Grand National hope Clan Royal had come out of the race over hurdles at Warwick on Thursday in fine shape.

“He’s in grand form. He did a canter this morning, everything’s good with him. If we can keep him like this for Aintree we will be very happy going there,” said O’Neill.

Clan Royal, who finished third to Passenger Omar in his second outing of the campaign, heads the ante-post market at 7-1 for the Aintree spectacular on April 8.