Connections happy with Salmon run
Beef Or Salmon warmed up for a trip to next week’s Punchestown Festival with a respectable third-place finish in the Racing Post In Ireland Hurdle, the opening race on Irish Grand National day at Fairyhouse.
Michael Hourigan’s 10-year-old was on something of a retrieval mission in the three-mile race having unseated Paul Carberry at Aintree and disappointed for the fourth time in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Strongly supported all morning for his first race over timber for almost four years, Beef Or Salmon was eventually sent off the 5-2 favourite but gave his supporters plenty of anxious moments with some less than fluent jumps.
He then got outpaced at halfway when the tempo quickened but the Lexus Chase and Irish Hennessy winner boxed on well from the home turn to go down by four lengths and a short-head under Andrew McNamara.
The jockey was satisfied with his mount’s performance.
“They went slow for the first mile and then quickened and it caught him out,” he said.
Hourigan was also delighted after his abortive trip to Liverpool, where the horse got rid of his regular pilot at the fifth fence in the Betfair Bowl.
“I am very pleased as he hurdled well and when they quickened they caught him a bit flat footed,” said the County Limerick-based trainer.
“They all hurdled quicker than him and he jumped a bit big early on but they are all used to hurdling and he is not.
“That beats working him at home and he hardly had a race in Liverpool, or Cheltenham come to think of it.
“If he is fine in the morning he will go to Punchestown, and I don’t see any reason why he won’t run.”
Beef Or Salmon has now failed in four trips to Cheltenham and in addition to his Aintree run, also got turned over in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November.
Reflecting on his stable star’s lack of form outside Ireland, Hourigan said: “He probably just doesn’t like travelling to England.”
Before quipping when asked if the eight-times Grade One winner will return across the Irish sea next winter: “You’d better ask me in October.”
