Injured Bolger denied Tolworth chance

Trainer Laura Mongan has been left searching for a replacement rider for Alsadaa in tomorrow’s Anglo Irish Bank Tolworth Hurdle after regular partner Colin Bolger suffered an injury at Lingfield.

Bolger has struck up a fine relationship with the five-year-old – runner-up to Jack The Giant in the valuable Ladbroke Hurdle last weekend – but was hurt when unseated from La Cortezana at the first flight of the lingfieldpark.co.uk Juvenile Maiden Hurdle.

Mongan said: “I’ll have to wait until the morning and see what happens. There should be a couple of riders there that will be available. I suppose Richard Johnson would be top of my list, but we’ll have to see what happens in the morning.

“I’m absolutely gutted, but not as gutted as Colin, obviously. They thought he had broken something but he hasn’t, although he’s pretty bruised and thinks he will be off for about a week.”

Jim Lewis is looking forward to the buzz of a return to the limelight when he sees his colours carried by Breedsbreeze in the Sandown contest.

The long-standing owner went close to claiming this prize in 2000 when his subsequent triple Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Best Mate was runner-up to Monsignor in a particularly memorable renewal.

Now he has the chance of glory in this Grade One contest over an extended two miles with Breedsbreeze, trained by Paul Nicholls, who has won the race for the last two years with Noland (2006) and Silverburn (2007).

“I am looking forward to it very much. It’s nice to be going back to a big track and a big race after such a long time. I’m quite excited about it,” said Lewis.

He will be in direct opposition with Henrietta Knight, who trained Best Mate for him and is represented by the well-regarded Calgary Bay.

“There are plenty of cases you can give to the others, but on the other hand we have got our soft ground which is a benefit and he’s proved himself over a longer distance,” Lewis continued.

“What Paul Nicholls thought, and I agree, is that with the testing ground and the uphill finish at Sandown his stamina might just come in handy.

“I think there’ll be plenty of pace on which will suit us and if he came in the first two I’ll be thinking I’ve got another nice horse again.

“It will be nice to be going down there with all the anticipation, which I haven’t had for a long time.

“Paul is very happy with the way things are and we go with a decent each-way chance. Anything after that will be a bonus.”

Likely favourite Deep Purple runs in the colours of Paul Green and he will be bidding to give the owner a double following Silverburn’s success.

“He’s in grand form and, as you can imagine, his confidence is ultra high. He looks magnificent and we will find out on Saturday where we are,” said trainer Evan Williams.

“You have got to respect everything. He’s done remarkably well to win a Listed race and a Grade Two, but we are all aware that the step up to Grade One company sorts the men from the boys.”

Deep Purple is unbeaten in five starts over hurdles and Williams believes his winning run has resulted in a huge boost for the seven-year-old.

“I think it’s probably a confidence thing, but I do often think he’s a horse that is improving with experience. ”He’s a seven-year-old now but he’s the type of horse that has improved physically, as well as mentally, every time he has run,“ the trainer told At The Races.

Howard Johnson sends Moonhawk, winner of his sole start over hurdles, for the Sandown feature.

However, the County Durham handler admits his Carlisle victor is facing a stiff challenge.

He said: “It’s a hot race and although I was pleased with his run at Carlisle, this is a different ball game.

“The ground will help him, he will like it soft, but it’s a bit of a fact-finding run.”

Mick Fitzgerald teams up with the Brendan Powell-trained Psychomodo, winner of one of his two starts over hurdles this term.

“He’s a horse that’s done nothing wrong,” said the rider.

“He came out and won at Ascot and then just got beat by Lodge Lane, who has franked the form since by winning at Exeter the other day.

“It’s a shot in the dark. He’s a horse that’s probably going to be better on better ground and it won’t be ideal for him at Sandown.”