RacingConnections are pondering which race Rhinestone Cowboy will contest at the Punchestown Festival next week. His two options at the four-day fixture are the Emo Oil Champion Hurdle over two miles on Friday week or the Ballymore Properties Champion Stayers' Hurdle over three miles the previous day. Both are Grade One events.
The star hurdler's rider, amateur J P Magnier, said that a final decision had still to be taken on which race the horse would contest.
The Jonjo O'Neill-trained eight-year-old most recently beat Rooster Booster in the Martell Cognac Aintree Hurdle at Liverpool and could reoppose that rival and Smurfit Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace in the €160,000 Emo Oil Champion Hurdle.
But he could instead line-up in the €125,000 Champion Stayers' Hurdle over three miles, in which stablemate Iris's Gift is an expected starter. "Rhinestone Cowboy is definitely going to Punchestown," said Magnier, whose parents John and Sue own the gelding. "Although it hasn't yet been finalised which race he will go for, we've got to wait and see on a few things. But he's apparently very well at home after Aintree and all set to go on to Punchestown. I've not ridden a winner there before and can't wait to ride him."
The going is currently soft after 10 millimetres of rain at the weekend. Punchestown's racing manager Richie Galway said: "We have had 60 millimetres of rain so far in April and the weather is set to remain unsettled during this week with showers each day up to and including Thursday. But more settled conditions with warmer temperatures are forecast towards the weekend."
Kieren Fallon was unwell and missed the action at Southwell yesterday. The champion jockey had a book of five mounts at the Nottinghamshire circuit but decided to take the day off after riding work.
He was due to ride three horses for John Jenkins and also had mounts for David Evans and David Bridgwater. Fallon, who has ridden 27 winners so far this year, plans to return to the saddle at Epsom today.
Today's meeting at Redcar was called off due to waterlogging. Officials inspected the track yesterday morning after heavy rain over the weekend but the course was found to be unraceable.
Bull Run can build on a promising racecourse debut by taking the Weatherbys Blue Riband Trial Stakes at Epsom. David Loder's colt looked a really good prospect when strolling home by nine lengths at Windsor at the beginning of the month.
Bull Run took it up three furlongs out and nothing ever looked like getting close to him, even when he was eased down near the post, with Larkwing staying on for second and a further seven lengths to Springtime Romance in third.
