Ridge set for switch to hurdles

Alpha Ridge may seek a second consecutive victory in the Galmoy Hurdle after proving a disappointment over fences at Leopardstown.

The Grade Two event, at the end of last January at Gowran Park, was the last time Alpha Ridge won a race, although he was only just beaten by first China Rock and then Pandorama on his first two chases.

But he was only seventh to the latter in the Knight Frank Novice Chase on Monday.

Trainer Paul Nolan said: “He seems fine but he just didn’t jump well enough - his jumping fell apart.

“You can put it down to the mistake he made down the back but maybe he needs more testing ground to be just going that stride slower.

“Certainly we will have to ask questions, but the twice he has run on a better surface, he has run poorly.

“He might just go back to the Galmoy at the end of January now.”

Nolan was a little happier with the effort of Noble Prince, third in the Woodiesdiy.com Christmas Hurdle.

He continued: “It was a good run. We might have got a little bit of a rush of blood turning into the straight for a horse who hadn’t run three miles before and hopefully we can rectify it next time.”