AN AIR of desperation surrounds trainers anxious to get one more run into their Cheltenham-bound charges. Henrietta Knight is fretting over Racing Demon, and Nicky Henderson is exasperated by the lack of rain, but the man most affected by a combination of lively ground and the recent spate of abandonments is François Doumen.
First, though, to Knight, whose protective embrace has been such that Racing Demon has not run for more than two months. The Arkle Trophy Chase is less than five weeks distant and the horse, twice raced over fences, needs experience badly. The weekend is a last chance for the talented six-year-old, yet the weather forecast is ominous.
Knight much prefers the novices’ chase at Exeter on Sunday to one at Warwick the previous day. “Exeter is our preference,” she said. “He’s won there, but we will be guided by the weather. Although I’d dearly like one more run, if it doesn’t happen this weekend it won’t happen at all. We’d be getting too close to Cheltenham.”
The Exeter option also increases the prospect of Timmy Murphy being available; Racing Demon’s regular rider is required by Martin Pipe at Newbury on Saturday. Whatever happens, Knight is frustrated by conditions that have prevented her from running Racing Demon on more than one occasion.
“It’s been an extraordinary winter,” she said. “There has simply been no rain. People are walking under bridges where there would normally be a river or stream, but it is dry. I feel sorry for the Flat boys. There will be hardly any grass growth and there could be problems.”
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In agreement is Henderson, the Festival specialist whose thumbing of the programme book has become increasingly urgent. “This winter has been a nightmare,” he said, “and I’ve never known anything like the last month in my life. We’re not yet pressing the panic button but it is getting close.”
Henderson resisted the temptation to add runners to Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase, which was reopened for 24 hours. In the event only Palua, trained by Emma Lavelle, joined eight others originally entered — six of which are trained by Paul Nicholls and Martin Pipe. “I’d be delighted to run three or four of mine over two miles on good ground at Newbury,” Henderson said, “but that would only attract the handicapper. If it’s not one thing, it’ s another.”
For all their tribulations, Knight and Henderson are almost blessed if Doumen, a perennial French presence at Cheltenham, is to be believed. “I am in trouble,” he said yesterday. “I sent runners to Sandown on Saturday and they came to win their races before getting tired at the second-last. I then realised that my horses are backward because of the cold spell we have had in France.” Icy conditions prevented Doumen from schooling any horses for two weeks, yet he still felt optimistic on reaching Sandown. “I thought they had had enough preparation to run well but I got a slap in the face,” he said. “I am not used to that, so now I am questioning myself. Cheltenham is approaching and I’m not happy. The horses need some racing.”
Consequently, Doumen is braced for a flurry of cross-Channel trips, hopefully starting on Saturday with L’Ami in the Aon Chase at Newbury. “I would really like to run him,” the trainer said of his Hennessy runner-up, “even on ground that could be dicey for him. But it seems we will be lucky to have any racing at all. If not, I hope they reschedule the Aon because I will send L’Ami nearly anywhere to get a run.”
Doumen says that L’Ami “is very well in himelf, like all my horses. I am happy with them but they all need a run because they need to come forward in fitness.” Two others bound for Britain are First Gold, for the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup on Saturday week, and Innox, for the Racing Post Chase on February 25. Both are pointing towards the Grand National.
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Others destined for Cheltenham include Danaw (Coral Cup) and a trio of prospects for the Triumph Hurdle. Meanwhile, Blue Canyon joins First Gold at Haydock for the Rendlesham Hurdle ahead of the World Hurdle — where he will be joined by Baracouda.
WRIGHT SHINES
Rob Wright was in sparkling form yesterday, selecting 11 winners at three meetings, including Katie Lawson (6-1), Monte Mayor Junior (4-1) and Luca Tacumana (3-1) for a profit of £18.30 to a £1 level stake.