The RSA Chase favourite Monalee has emerged unscathed from his dramatic fall at Leopardstown over Christmas.
However trainer Henry De Bromhead is reluctant to pinpoint when his rising start will return to action.
Monalee took a spectacular spill in the Neville Hotels Novice Chase and was kicked by a couple of rivals while on the ground. De Bromhead initially described the fall as “horrible.” However he is relieved with how the former high class novice hurdler has come out of the experience.
“It was a horrific fall but he seems good again now. We’re taking things very slowly with him but he seems okay,” he said.
“He will be entered in the two-mile-five [€100,000 Flogas Novice Chase on Day Two of Dublin Racing Festival]) but I can’t say for sure he’ll go. I just want to make sure he’s right before deciding what to do,” De Bromhead added.
Monalee’s odds for the RSA at Cheltenham eased slightly on the back of that fall but he remains a 7-1 favourite for the novice crown in many lists.
De Bromhead’s two-mile champion Special Tiara fell at Kempton two days before Monalee and he could appear in the Dublin Racing Festival in the new Coral Dublin Chase.
“He seems fine and he’ll be entered for the two mile chase at Leopardstown,” said De Bromhead who added that Petit Mouchoir’s next target will be the Frank Ward Solicitors Irish Arkle on the first day of the new festival which boasts a card worth €700,000 alone.
Good form
Before that the first six-figure pot of 2018 takes place at Fairyhouse on Sunday with an entry of 20 horses still left in the €100,000 Bar One Dan Moore Memorial Chase.
Saturday's Punchestown highlight is the Grade Two Sky Bet Moscow Flyer Hurdle which could see Willie Mullins represented by both Getabird and Carter McKay.
Mullins won the race three years running with Vautour, Douvan and Min but last year his 4-11 favourite Crack Mome was beaten by Any Second Now.
“I would think that Getabird will go to Punchestown and Carter McKay just had a little setback that forced him to miss Naas. If we’re happy with him this week I’d say he’ll go there as well,” said the champion trainer.
“Getabird won his maiden at Punchestown and is in good form and handles the track. The ground won’t be an issue for him. We were very happy with Carter McKay’s performance at Gowran Park when he won his maiden hurdle. This race comes at a good time for these sort of horses,” he added.
The going at both Fairyhouse and Punchestown is currently reported as “soft to heavy”.
