Answer To Kayf and John Shinnick (yellow/blue colours) winning at Naas© Photo Healy Racing
Answer To Kayf was a progressive sort over hurdles last season and Terence O’Brien is hoping the gelding can again bring connections to some of the big Festivals as he embarks on a chasing career.
The lightly raced eight-year-old won twice over hurdles last term before finishing fourth in the ‘Martin Pipe’ at the Cheltenham Festival and also filling the runner-up spot in the valuable Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final at Punchestown.
“He got an infection on his wither about six or eight weeks ago that has taken a long time to clear up but he’s back in full work now,” said O’Brien.
“He’s probably a couple of weeks away from a run and he’s going over fences. We’re delighted with his schooling, but beginners’ chases will be massively competitive.
“Once the ground changes we’ll get him out, but it will want to be safe ground.
“He was fantastic for us last season, a marquee horse for our yard.
“He’s 138 over hurdles but we are still only in the second tier of novices from last year and we’ll be coming up against all the top novices in the beginners chases from now on.
“Realistically if he could win a beginners chase and maybe a nice novice handicap somewhere that would be great. Ideally you would like to think he could arrive back at Cheltenham again with a chance for the lads and give them another day out there.”
Whiskeywealth also won twice last season for the Carrigtwohill trainer including the €45,000 Holden Plant Rentals Shamrock Handicap Chase at Gowran in March and made a pleasing return to action over hurdles at Galway last month.
“I was happy with his first run back in Galway and he should come on from it. He’s won a few both over hurdles and fences and the handicapper is probably catching up with him a bit.”
O’Brien continued, “You would like to think he could still have a chance in both codes when there is a bit of a cut in the ground. He needs two miles and a cut in the ground whether it be over hurdles or fences.
“He worked well this morning and I’ve nothing really picked out. He’s 12lb lower over hurdles so there is a temptation there, but he is probably a better horse over a fence.
“He won a nice handicap chase at Gowran last season and that’s a race we might aim for again.
“He was a bit disappointing when we stepped him up in class as I thought if he got into the bigger handicaps off a lower weight he might be competitive but he seemed to get caught out for toe.”
