Bardenstown Lad (Sean Bowen) winning at Cheltenham last October© Photo Healy Racing
John McConnell’s team is starting to take shape for next month’s Cheltenham Festival and he plans to be double-handed in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
Streets Of Doyen finished third to Vanillier in last year’s renewal of the three-mile Grade 1 and the Stamullen trainer now plans to send over both Bardenstown Lad and Mahler Mission.
Bardenstown Lad earned his ticket at Musselburgh last Saturday when easily beating the Gordon Elliott-trained Where It All Began in the bet365 Scottish Stayers’ Novices’ Hurdle.
“He’ll go straight for the Albert Bartlett. He had a break over the winter for no other reason than he was on the go over the summer. He had a nice school around last Saturday and hasn’t had a hard race. He’ll go there a fresh horse,” said McConnell.
When asked how he would compare at this stage with Streets Of Doyen, McConnell added: “Streets Of Doyen is very talented but we haven’t got to the bottom of this fella yet so you wouldn’t know how good he could be. He’s exciting and definitely one for chasing as well.”
Mahler Mission made all for a facile victory at Sedgefield last month and followed up just a fortnight later in the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster. “He’s also going straight for the Albert Bartlett after winning the River Don well last time.”
Go Another One is a real favourite in McConnell’s dual-purpose yard having won a total of 13 races and over €200,000 between bumpers, hurdles and fences.
The ten-year-old son of Stowaway will also be heading for the Cheltenham Festival in the Final of the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle Series having finished fourth to Charles Byrnes’ The Big Galloper at Musselburgh last Sunday. “He qualified for the Pertemps last weekend and he’ll also go to Cheltenham for that.”
Drumbear, who has made all for easy wins at both Musselburgh and Sedgefield already this year, will not be heading to Cheltenham as McConnell looks more to the future with the promising six-year-old.
“Drumbear is still a big baby mentally. That’s why I’ve been cherry picking his races a little bit and he’ll have a couple more runs in the spring. We might run him at one of the Irish Festivals and he should be a good chaser next year.”
