RACING: The Solerina team indicated yesterday that the mare's regular rider Gary Hutchinson is likely to maintain the partnership at the Cheltenham Festival.
Hutchinson, who is set to lose his 3lb claim with two more winners, has already tasted big-race success on Solerina this season in the Hatton's Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse last November.
However, the 23-year-old rider is comparatively inexperienced at the highest level and has never before ridden at the festival.
Despite that, however, Michael Bowe, son of the permit holder James Bowe, said yesterday: "Riding arrangements are something we haven't really talked about yet but I would imagine there will be no big change." Hutchinson, whose list of successes also includes a Paddy Power Chase on Coq Hardi Diamond, has ridden on the Cheltenham track at the Thomas Pink meeting of 2002.
He said yesterday: "I've been there plenty of times travelling with Ted Walsh's horses and the festival is the place you want to be at. It would be great to ride Solerina if I get the chance. She is so straight-forward and she is going there with a bit of hope."
Bowe is a huge fan of the current champion jockey Paul Carberry who rode Solerina's stable companion Limestone Lad to some of his greatest victories.
However, this time Carberry is committed to riding Rosaker for his principal trainer Noel Meade in the Stayers' Hurdle.
Carberry was on board Solerina in December's Bewleys Hotel Christmas Hurdle when she reverted to two miles and ran fourth to Golden Cross.
Any more plans to test the mare over the minimum trip have been shelved in favour of an all-out attempt on the Stayers' Hurdle and a clash with the reigning champion Baracouda.
Bowe reports Solerina to have fully recovered from the bug that kept her from running at Navan in the Boyne Hurdle ten days ago.
However, he has definitely ruled out any chance of sending Sunday's impressive bumper scorer Sweet Kiln to Cheltenham.
"She will not travel," Bowe said. "We don't know that much about her yet. All she has done is go up the gallop on her own and I was dumbfounded she won the way she did.
"We are still finding out about her and one thing I don't do is find out at home how good they are. She hasn't been galloping with Solerina and Florida Coast or anything like that."
One man who is still confident of making it to the festival is Michael Hourigan who gave an upbeat report on the Gold Cup hope Beef Or Salmon yesterday.
"He is coming along fine and did a good piece of work at Thurles last week. He will go straight to Cheltenham but we will have to give him one more good gallop before he goes," he said.
The gelding will work after racing at Limerick tomorrow.
