Henry de Bromhead expects to learn on Tuesday whether he will be allowed to send over runners for Kempton’s Christmas Festival, but still wishes to do so if the Irish government will allow his horses and staff to make the return journey, a 48-hour travel ban from Britain having been imposed on Sunday. The County Waterford trainer has chosen a difficult year to have his first runner in the King George but Monalee would have an obvious chance in the Boxing Day feature if allowed to compete, having been beaten less than two lengths in the Gold Cup in March.
“The latest thinking is, wait and see what the protocols are and what we are allowed to do and then make a decision,” De Bromhead said on Monday. “I think we’ll have a fair idea tomorrow.”
De Bromhead will be at Leopardstown’s prestigious Christmas meeting himself but plans to send two members of staff with Monalee and Put The Kettle On, the Arkle Trophy winner. The mare’s target is Sunday’s Desert Orchid Chase, in which she would be a serious opponent for Altior.
Asked if he was still keen to send his horses, despite fears of the spread of the coronavirus and the associated travel difficulties, De Bromhead said: “I think we are. I’ve spoken to our team and they’re happy to travel. Once we can comply with all the rules, and Horse Racing Ireland and the department of agriculture are happy for us to travel, my crew are happy to go. But I have to wait for all the information before we make a final decision.”
He said Monalee was “in great form” and will be fitter for his third-placed run at Thurles last month, his first race since March. But doubts about his participation have set his odds drifting to a general 9-1, some bookmakers having had him at 6s last week.
Even if Monalee runs, it cannot be taken for granted that Rachael Blackmore will fly over to take the ride, if there is any risk of official difficulty about her return to Ireland. Blackmore’s intended rides at Leopardstown in the following days include Minella Indo, favourite for the Savills Chase, and she currently holds a narrow lead in the jockeys’ championship over Paul Townend.
There is no new obstacle from the British side to Irish racehorses coming here and Irish officials hope their government will allow such travel to continue. Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, told Nick Luck’s podcast: “We have Brexit on the horizon, the Christmas break and this new strain … It’s all coming at once but the industries are too interlinked, we’ve got to find ways that we can continue to move horses and the people associated with them between the two countries.”
Quick Guide
Chris Cook’s Tuesday racing tips
Lingfield 11.45 It Must Be Faith 12.15 Rohaan 12.45 Nigel Nott (nb) 1.15 Campeao 1.45 Fame N Fortune 2.15 Sea La Rosa 2.45 Tebay 3.15 Casual Reply
Huntingdon 12.05 Paddys Motorbike 12.35 The Tin Miner 1.05 Mister Murchan (nap) 1.35 Malachys Girl 2.05 Prince Llewellyn 2.35 Rainyday Woman 3.05 Happy News 3.35 Silent Revolution
Sedgefield 12.25 Camprond 12.55 Alaphilippe 1.25 Pottlereaghexpress 1.55 Road Warrior 2.25 Gavrocheka 2.55 Crackdeloust 3.25 Good Look Charm
Some have raised the fear of Irish horses being locked out of the Cheltenham Festival in March, but Kavanagh finds that hard to imagine. “Horses have moved back and forth for the last five months, for racing, for breeding, for sales… There’s 25,000 horses moved between Ireland, Britain and France a year and that has largely continued uninterrupted and hasn’t led to any spread of the disease, so I think it’ll be very unlikely to envisage a situation where you have no Irish competition in Cheltenham. It may be more difficult to get there and get back but I’d say most Irish trainers would relish that challenge.”
The King George has 10 possible runners, following Monday’s entry stage. Santini was supplemented for the race, Nicky Henderson explaining: “We don’t think Kempton will be his ideal track but he’s very well in himself and there’s nothing else to do.”
The Lambourn trainer Harry Whittington will run Saint Calvados in the King George, having decided his string has recovered from a low-grade infection that caused him to have no runners for the past fortnight. “I just wasn’t quite convinced they were finishing off their races,” he said.
“We had one or two slightly murky trachea washes. It was something and nothing, not anything to worry about. There was something going around the yard, probably brought back from the races, and I just decided to take a pull for 10 days and freshen them up.
“We’ve rechecked them two weeks later and the improvement is beyond recognition. They’re so fresh, they’re ready to go again.”