Harchi misses Dundalk date

Noel Meade has decided against running Harchibald at Dundalk tomorrow night, but he could line up at the track next week instead.

The four-time Grade One-winning hurdler has used the artificial surface a number of times to blow away the cobwebs for more important timber assignments and he ran eighth in a decent event at the track last month.

Meade feels tomorrow’s Carlingford Stakes is slightly too competitive and believes a race on next Friday’s card would be more to Harchibald’s liking.

“The race at Dundalk looks very good so I thought we’d wait to run him either at Dundalk over a mile and a half next Friday, or in the Morgiana Hurdle (November 16),” said Meade.

“If the ground was reasonable for the Morgiana he could run there, but I would say it is more likely he’ll go to Dundalk.”

The Morgiana Hurdle is the target for stablemate Jered, who is as short as 6-1 for next year’s Champion Hurdle following his hugely impressive reappearance at Down Royal last week.

“I’m pretty sure Jered will go to the Morgiana Hurdle and it’s quite possible both he and Harchibald could run, but as I say, Dundalk is more likely for Harchi,” the trainer added.