No Flies On Him to swerve Dublin Racing Festival
SMART PROSPECT: No Flies On Him en route to winning at Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day. Picture: Healy Racing
No Flies On Him will head to Punchestown to continue his hurdling education next month after connections elected to miss the Dublin Racing Festival with the top novice prospect.
Trained by Edward O'Grady and owned by JP McManus, the five-year-old beat Nicky Henderson's Grade One scorer Jango Baie in the pointing field before impressing on his rules debut at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.
He looked to be in line for a return to Dublin for the Grade One Tattersalls Ireland 50th Derby Sale Novice Hurdle on Sunday, but his name was missing from the list of acceptors at Tuesday's confirmation stage.
Instead O'Grady will point his talented charge towards Kildare next month, where he will step up to Listed level in the Madigan Group Irish EBF Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle.
"The horse is absolutely fine and in excellent shape, but we have decided to wait for Punchestown on February 18," said O'Grady.
"We were pleased with what he did (on debut). I don't know (if he's improved) but we will find out."
No Flies On Him holds an entries for both the Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle — for which he is as short as 12-1 — and the Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
When asked if a positive display at Punchestown could tee up a trip to Prestbury Park in March, O'Grady said: "I hope so, yes."
Meanwhile, a tilt at the JCB Triumph Hurdle remains on Burdett Road's agenda despite his defeat at Cheltenham on Saturday.
A winner at Royal Ascot in the summer for Michael Bell and the Gredley family, the four-year-old confirmed himself a top-class jumping recruit in winning his first two starts over hurdles at Huntingdon.
The son of Muhaarar was a marginal favourite to complete his hat-trick in Saturday's Grade Two Triumph Hurdle Trial, but on the day he proved no match for Nicky Henderson's Sir Gino, who rocketed 10 lengths clear and is now as short as evens for the juvenile championship at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Trainer James Owen acknowledges Burdett Road will have his work cut out in his bid to turn the tables on Sir Gino, but he is nevertheless happy to roll the dice.
"We bumped into a very good horse and the positive we can take from it is that we jumped better and he's come out of it fine," Owen said.
"I think drier ground will help us. We've got to improve to bridge that gap, but he'll have an easy week and he'll be trained for the Triumph Hurdle — all systems go, basically."
