THYNE AGAIN will attempt to put the wheels back on his campaign when he lines up for the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase over two miles at Leopardstown next week.
Trainer Liam Burke had been hoping to up his stable star to two and a half miles in the John Durkan Memorial at Punchestown earlier this month but that plan was put on hold due to a lung infection.
Thyne Again also holds an entry in next week's Lexus Chase over three miles but timing has forced Burke's hand into remaining at the minimum distance for the time being.
"He is in the Lexus but I would say the Dial-A-Bet is his most likely option. I was hoping to run in the Durkan to decide if we would go up to three miles or not but he had a dirty scope and we couldn't go. So we're sort of betwixt and between now," he said yesterday.
The Grade One winning chestnut is a general 33 to 1 shot for the Queen Mother Champion Chase but is half those odds for the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
"Two and a half miles is possibly his ideal trip and the Ryanair is the most likely race for him even though it could be a very competitive race," Burke added.
"But if you look at the two-miler, there mightn't be too many willing to take on Master Minded and something has to be placed in it. We will see closer to the time. But he is in good form and worked nicely yesterday," he said.
The Dial-A-Bet is also a target for last season's Swordlestown Cup winner Big Zeb who is set to make his first start of the season over the two-mile trip. Colm Murphy confirmed the horse is on target for Leopardstown yesterday and gave an upbeat bulletin on his progress.
"It is more than likely he will run there. He was back in later than usual and we were struggling to get a run into him before Christmas - it wasn't going to happen," Murphy said.
"He will start off at Leopardstown. He is very well and I couldn't be happier with him," he added.
Leopardstown will also be the target for the Kerry-trained River Liane who will miss out on Saturday's Boylesports International at Ascot in favour of staying at home.
The Tom Cooper-trained horse travelled to Cheltenham last weekend only for the meeting to be cancelled and River Liane won't be making a quick return across the Irish Sea.
"He is one hundred per cent but he is not going back again. We've had a change of plan and we will probably go to Leopardstown instead," Cooper said yesterday.
River Liane's target will be the December Festival Hurdle which looks like attracting the cream of Ireland's hurdlers with the likes of Sizing Europe, Brave Inca and Hardy Eustace already committed to it.
Cooper also has a couple of options for his stable star Forpadydeplasterer at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The former course Grade One winner can drop back to two miles for the Durkan New Homes Novice Chase on St Stephen's Day or step up to three miles for the €100,000 Knight Frank Novice Chase. Forpadydeplasterer was runner-up to Trafford Lad in his last start over two and a half in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse.
Notre Pere is the sole Irish-trained horse guaranteed a place among the final maximum field of 20 for the Coral Welsh Grand National at Chepstow on Saturday week. An entry of 55 horses was left in the three-and-three-quarter-mile marathon at yesterday's forfeit stage and Notre Pere, winner of the Troytown on his last start, is rated a 10 to 1 shot with the big-race sponsor to win out.
"The distance and the soft ground will suit him," his trainer Jim Dreaper said yesterday. "Whether he's good enough is what we need to find out."
Meanwhile, Paul Nolan yesterday confirmed 2006 Galway Hurdle winner Cuan Na Grai an intended runner in the £150,000 Ladbroke Hurdle at Ascot on Saturday
