AINTREE specialist Monet’s Garden will bid for a third victory in the Old Roan Chase on Merseyside a week on Saturday.
Nicky Richards’ veteran grey turns 13 on New Year’s Day but his handler insists he still retains both ability and enthusiasm for the game.
He showed that ability in February when landing the Grade One Ascot Chase, and is looking to make it three wins in the Old Roan Chase, following successes in 2007 and 12 months ago.
The Gretstoke handler said: “He’s very well, he’s in good form, and we’re looking forward to it.
“I think the old horse is looking forward to it as well, which is the main thing.
“He still thinks he’s five years old. I think they should have an age allowance for when they reach his age!
“Hopefully the weather will stay decent and we have an uninterrupted preparation.
“After Aintree, the Peterborough at Huntingdon will be the plan. I made the mistake of heading off to Ascot last year but that came too soon. We’ll spread it out this year and enjoy it all. He just builds himself back up again and gets himself fresh.
“If Barry Geraghty is available he’ll ride him. He won both races on him last year and they seem to get on good.”
Another Aintree hero, Orsippus, is set to make his seasonal return in Saturday’s Sportingbet.com Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The Michael Smith-trained four-year-old was a shock Grade One winner when landing the Matalan 4-Y-O Anniversary Hurdle at odds of 40-1 at the John Smith’s Grand National meeting in April.
He had been a fine third in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival prior to his Aintree success and Smith is hoping he can continue to mix it at the highest level this season.
He kicks off at Prestbury Park this weekend and his Northumberland-based trainer said: “The plan is to go to Cheltenham. He has summered extremely well; we have pampered him and he is looking magnificent.
“Looking around for races, there are not a lot of options for horses like him, so we have to take him down to Cheltenham.
“We will let him run and see how it goes, and then go on from there to Newcastle for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at the end of November. I’m not basing his season on this Cheltenham run. We will go down there and do our best but it is a long time to March and I don’t want him fully wound up in October.
“I entered him for the Triumph Hurdle before he had even won me a race. I didn’t do that on a whim, because it is not cheap to enter. That was a serious intention.
“I set about getting him up the handicap to give us the option of running in the Fred Winter, which might be considered to be a weaker race, but on the form, it doesn’t look like it was this year.
“He was a big price when he won at Aintree but I think that was because I’m a small trainer from the north. No horse gets placed at the Festival that doesn’t deserve to be there.
“I think the travelling arrangements didn’t suit Orsippus when we went to Punchestown. He was off his food a bit and, in hindsight, I probably should have just brought him home without a run. I also think the heavily-watered ground at Punchestown didn’t help him.”
TODAY’S NAP: Mungo Park (3.40pm Leicester).
