Hardy Eustace doubful for Cheltenham Festival

Published on Monday 16 February 2009 22:10

HARDY Eustace has been at Cheltenham so often, he could probably drive his own horsebox there, but one of the meeting's favourite sons could be posted missing when the Festival kicks off in three weeks time. Three weeks today to be precise.

As hardy by nature as he is by name, Dessie Hughes's gelding has been a standing dish at Prestbury Park for the past six years, his first three visits resulting in a Sun Alliance Novice victory and two Champion Hurdle crowns.

Whilst his most recent sojourns across the Irish Sea haven't been quite so successful, Hardy Eustace only has to show face at Cheltenham to be guaranteed a hero's welcome and his non-appearance this time round would undoubtedly leave a big gap. "He'd have to be 100 per cent to go there as I would hate to take him over and see him run bad," explained Hughes of his now 12-year-old former champion.

A winning seasonal debut at Punchestown last November suggested advancing years had rendered Eustace far from useless, an impression confirmed when he went on to finish third to Catch Me at Leopardstown next time out.

The winner scored at Navan yesterday and is being touted as a contender for a couple of big events at the Festival.

Hardy Eustace's last couple of efforts have, however, been less encouraging, to the point of disappointing, and his trainer wants to see at least a hint of the old sparkle return before committing to yet another trip to the Cotswolds, where he holds entries in both the Champion and World Hurdle.

"He hasn't been right for the last two runs as he has suffered a lung infection which we thought we had cleared up for the last day, but obviously the way he ran it wasn't," added the Kildare handler. "We'll see if he is right over the next ten days or a fortnight."

One certain starter at Cheltenham is Psychomodo, who yesterday gave Brendan Powell his first success as a trainer at Carlisle, although exactly which race he'll be targeted at remains up in the air.

Psychomodo's victory completed a double for jockey Wilson Renwick who had earlier scored on Peter Monteith's Mitchel Henry, but the win earned the Borders pilot a seven days suspension for excessive use of the whip.

This afternoon's nap, Sydney Sling, is less experienced than his rivals, but that shouldn't stop him winning at Taunton.