RACING/News: Michael Hourigan was last night mulling over whether or not he will be able to give Beef Or Salmon a warm up race before the star chaser runs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Yesterday the Co Limerick trainer ruled Beef Or Salmon out of Sunday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown following advice from the physiotherapist treating the horse.
"The physio has told me not to to run and I've told her I will be swayed by whatever she tells me," Hourigan said. "The horse is fine but he does have a small muscular problem in his hind-quarters. She is happy with him but not happy enough to let him run. We will get on with it. He's not bad and it would be worse if he was hurt."
Beef Or Salmon won last year's Hennessy en route to his third fence fall in the Gold Cup. He is as low as 12 to 1 with Paddy Power for this season's championship but could now be forced into travelling to Cheltenham not having run since Christmas when he picked up a lung infection.
"We might just go straight to Cheltenham," admitted Hourigan whose alternative options include the Red Mills Chase at Gowran on Saturday week or a new race held at Thurles on March 4th. However, that would leave just two weeks until the Gold Cup itself. "What we want is to have him 110 per cent for Cheltenham," stressed the trainer but Beef Or Salmon's defection is a blow to Leopardstown whose maximum Hennessy entry is now down seven.
Charlie Swan has confirmed the leading Triumph Hurdle hope Hasanapour as being on track to have his second start over jumps in the Grade Two Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle. He said yesterday: "He is in great form and although he doesn't kill himself at home his jumping is improving. This will be throwing him in at the deep end but it should be a good education."
Hasanpour is due to meet the Ted Walsh-trained Top Strategy on Sunday and Swan admitted: "Top Strategy is a very good horse and could be the one to beat in the Triumph."
In other news it was confirmed yesterday that a meeting between Horse Racing Ireland and the Associaton of Irish Racecourses in the wake of the HRI turnover levy deal with the bookmakers will be held on Monday next.
The AIR have said that racecourses have bugeted and borrowed on the basis of a one per cent turnover levy and want the ruling body to make up the shortfall on the 0.5 per cent that has been agreed.
Chief executive Paddy Walsh said: "I think everyone is waiting to see what happens next and the meeting will determine that."
One announcement from Horse Racing Ireland yesterday concerned the creation of a replacement fixture for Navan on February 16th. The course lost its previous meeting to frost.
