Sport

Hughes hoping class will see Roberto home

RACING: DESSIE HUGHES is hoping Roberto Goldback’s touch of class will see him through in the Matty Ryan Memorial Kinloch Brae…

Thu Jan 19 2012 - 00:00

RACING:DESSIE HUGHES is hoping Roberto Goldback's touch of class will see him through in the Matty Ryan Memorial Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles today.

The 10-year-old drops down to Grade Two company in this two-and-a-half-mile heat after tackling the top level over three miles.

That outing came in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown where he was fourth to Synchronised.

“He probably wants a bit further and a better track, but he’s just in between. He has plenty of weight in handicaps and he’s not shown us yet he’s a true Grade One horse,” said Hughes.

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“When these races come along they are the only chance he has, but he’s a nice horse and is in good form.

“He ran well in the Lexus. Leopardstown’s a better track for him and it was good ground there as well.

“It’s a different job tomorrow, but it’s a lesser race.”

His four rivals include Follow The Plan, who was a well beaten sixth in the Lexus on his first race since May, but be did defeat Roberto Goldback by a neck in this race 12 months ago.

His trainer Oliver McKiernan feels Follow The Plan, who has to give weight all round, will be hard-pressed to repeat that success.

“He’s in good enough form and if he runs as well as he did in this race last year, we’ll be very happy,” said the Co Dublin handler.

“The trip is on the short side for him now and the ground will be soft so those things won’t be in his favour. It’s similar to last year but he would have been a bit more forward then.

“You’d have to think we’re running for place money, but you never know.”

Meanwhile, Vic Venturi is to continue his build-up to Aintree with a run in a hunter chase at Leopardstown at the end of the month following his victory in a point-to-point on Sunday.

Trainer Dessie Hughes is giving the 12-year-old the option of either the Fox Hunters’ Chase or the John Smith’s Grand National over the legendary fences.

Vic Venturi has failed to complete on the last two runnings of the famous steeplechase, although he did win the Becher Chase over the fearsome obstacles in November 2009.

“We’re just going to give him a little bit of a chance and we have the options then at Aintree with the Fox Hunters or run him back in the National,” said the Co Kildare-based handler.