Arkle-bound Tidal Bay may have busy festival

Tidal Bay could conceivably run twice at the Cheltenham Festival, in the Irish Independent Arkle Trophy and the Royal & SunAlliance Chase.

Connections of the seven-year-old have been undecided about which race to target, and while the Arkle is emerging as the more likely option, an outing in both events is a possibility – although a remote one.

Following three smooth victories over fences this season before his second-place finish at Doncaster last time, Graham Wylie’s rising star is a 10-1 chance with Ladbrokes for the Arkle with the Harrow firm quoting him at 8s for the SunAlliance.

“No decision has been made for definite, but the Arkle looks more likely,” said Johnson.

“He might run in both races though, and if he runs in the Arkle and something goes wrong then he could go again the next day.”

Runner-up in the Ballymore Properties Hurdle at the Festival last year, Tidal Bay made a couple of jumping errors on his most recent start before going down to Leslingtaylor on the run-in.

“They didn’t go fast enough for him at Doncaster and he wants an end-to-end gallop,” Johnson commented.

“He will have a racecourse gallop with Inglis Drever in the next five days and I will try him in cheekpieces as he looks about when he is jumping.

“He will jump five fences and we’ll see how we go with a view to keeping the cheekpieces on at Cheltenham.

“He jumps better at speed and is a very good horse.”

Wylie’s colours are no stranger to the winner’s enclosure at Cheltenham with three victories courtesy of Inglis Drever, No Refuge and Arcalis at the 2005 meeting making him the leading owner that year.

Next month’s squad for the Johnson-Wylie partnership is headed by Inglis Drever’s bid for a third Ladbrokes World Hurdle, while Logans Run and Supreme Novices’ entry Striking Article head up the novice division.

Johnson said: “With the weather Logans Run has only been out once and Striking Article is the same – he had a problem and then blew up at Newcastle on Saturday.

“Lennon is a possible for the Queen Mother, while No Refuge will go for the Coral Cup and Canada Street the cross-country race.

“I took him and Theatre Knight down there two weeks ago and Canada Street loved the cross-country course – it really livened him up.

“Cedrus Libani is best fresh and will go for the Jewson while Act Sirius will get in the Fred Winter no bother, and he jumps and gallops well.

“Logans Run has taken a while to get ready and is short on experience, but he jumps and stays and will go for the Ballymore.”