Sailors back to form

The market spoke in favour of Sailors Warn this morning and the early money proved inspired as the Edward O’Grady-trained gelding returned to form in the 2m2f Ballsbridge Hurdle.

The seven-year-old gelding was supported from 9/1 to 6/1 in the offices and was sent off the 5/1 second favourite behind obvious favourite Thousand Stars

The 10/11 market leader set out to make all under Ruby Walsh but Barry Geraghty oozed confidence as Sailors Warn challenged approaching the final flight.

Sailors Warn soon asserted on the run-in and was driven out to beat Thousand Stars by a length, with Busty Brown another two and a quarter lengths back in third.

O’Grady said, “He was 5lb better off with the Gigginstown horse (Midnight Game) than he would be in a handicap and it was then a case of how many stars turned up. If 1,000 turned up we had no chance and if 700 turned up we had a sporting chance. Perhaps 700 turned up!

“He stood on a piece of steel about 18 months ago and it went up into his hoof and we couldn’t get him sound. We took him for a CAT scan which would be unusual for horses and we were told there would be a ten percent chance he would ever be sound. So it’s marvellous that he’s come back sound and well.

“My farrier has to take a lot of credit and the boys at home have also done a great job with him.”

The Redback gelding holds entries at Cheltenham in the County Hurdle and the Martin Pipe Handicap Hurdle but O’Grady indicated he may not travel saying, “The reason he ran here is that he’s 3lb worse off in England, and now he’ll get a penalty so that could be another 6lb. Today was his Cheltenham.

“I’ll talk to Mr Wilmott (owner) to see what he wants to do but I’d be quite happy to stay at home with him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson