In Compliance looks to have a weekend deadline to earn a place in the Irish team for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup in 15 days time.
Michael O'Brien's outstanding young chaser hasn't been seen since beating War Of Attrition in the Grade One John Durkan Chase at Punchestown in early December and after bypassing intended engagements in the Hennessy Gold Cup and the Bobbyjo Chase in February, he has lengthened in the Cheltenham ante-post betting recently to a general 10 to 1.
O'Brien has reported that In Compliance hasn't been fully pleasing him in recent weeks but has been unable to find anything physically wrong with the horse. But the Co Kildare trainer hasn't given up hope of making the Gold Cup just yet.
"He was a little dull in himself but he seems to be coming round a bit and we haven't given up on the Gold Cup by any means," O'Brien said yesterday.
"I'm hoping he will get better in the next two or three days but we won't know for a while yet. The idea is to go to Leopardstown on Monday for a gallop. If he can't make that, then we can probably forget about Cheltenham."
If In Compliance doesn't make it, then it looks like only a trio of Irish horses will take on the favourite Kauto Star and Tom Taaffe reports that his 50 to 1 outsider Cane Brake is on course to join both War Of Attrition and Beef Or Salmon in the blue-riband event. Cane Brake will be graduating from handicap class after completing the Troytown-Paddy Power Chase double but his trainer is confident of a bold show despite the long odds.
"I wouldn't be running him if I thought he couldn't get into the first four," Taaffe said. "If the ground turns up soft at Cheltenham, that will make the job much tougher for the likes of Kauto Star and War Of Attrition while our horse is proven on it."
Soft ground is indeed proving a concern for War Of Attrition's trainer Mouse Morris who nevertheless is pleased with the condition of his Gold Cup champion.
"He looks to be in the same sort of form as he was 12 months ago. But the ground has been a nightmare this season - it has been much too heavy for him. He is nowhere near as good on it as he is on good ground. It's like chalk and cheese," Morris said.
"But it hasn't affected his preparation. I'm not too confident - lightning doesn't strike twice too often - but we are going to give it a shot," he added.
Taaffe could have as many as five festival runners with both Finger Onthe Pulse and Emotional Moment possible runners in the Coral Cup, for which Tom Mullins's New Field is ante-post favourite. Taaffe's other Cheltenham contenders are Kings Advocate who has the Jewson Novices Handicap Chase on the Thursday as a target, while Dead Sound is a possible for the Kim Muir on Day Two.
Tom Mullins has pointed out another target for New Field in the County Hurdle if the ground should come up very testing at the festival. "We will have a look at the weights and see what Frank Berry (racing manager) and JP (McManus) want to do as regards the Coral Cup and the County Hurdle," the Co Carlow trainer said.
Mullins added that Robbie Power was in line to team up with star mare Asian Maze in the Kappa Smurfit Champion Hurdle should, as is expected, Ruby Walsh be claimed for another mount in the race. "If Ruby can't ride her, then Robbie Power will. The only other jockey who might come into the picture is Paul Carberry as he got on well with her as a novice. But he more than likely will be claimed by Noel Meade.
"Robbie Power knows her very well and is actually part of the reason she is so good. He rode her at Listowel one day and told us she should never be covered up. She needs plenty of light and she hasn't looked back since," Mullins said.
He added: "She is still definitely on course for the Champion. I'm very pleased with her at the moment. She's very fit and seems to be coming good, as she always does, at this time of the year. More than likely she will work after racing at Leopardstown on Sunday.
"I've never had any qualms about her taking on the best at two miles. She has beaten Brave Inca once this season and beat Hardy Eustace last season. She gets a few pounds off them as well but I've always said if I can get her right, I don't know what will beat her."
Mullins also confirmed that his Grade Two winner Chelsea Harbour is set to take his chance in the SunAlliance Chase despite finishing only fourth to Mister Top Notch on his last start at Leopardstown.
"We rode him the wrong way. When he won at Naas over three miles he was pressing the pace the whole way and the Leopardstown race wasn't run to suit him," he said.
