Connections of Banbridge© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Joseph O’Brien has yet to finalise plans for Banbridge as the Grade 1 winning chaser is likely to encounter unsuitably soft ground at this week's Aintree festival.
The good ground-specialist won a Grade 1 novice chase at last year's Aintree festival and a Grade 2 at Kempton in January but disappointed on soft ground in last month's Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
O'Brien reports “Banbridge is probably 50-50 at the moment whether he will go to Aintree and I’ll have a chat with Ronnie (Bartlett, owner) before we have to declare. The plan was to definitely run but in all likelihood it will be at least soft and we wouldn’t run if it was an softer than that.
“He’s in the Melling and the Bowl but we haven’t decided which race he might go for yet.”
Regarding his Aintree-entered juvenile hurdlers, O'Brien said “Nurburgring and Intellotto will definitely run but it might be too soft for Cossack Chach.
“Nurburgring ran very well in the Triumph (finishing fourth) and Intellotto got back to winning ways at Limerick and the form of that race has worked out well.”
He added “Solness (entered in the Red Rum Handicap Chase) and Nusret (double entered in handicap hurdles) probably won’t run with the ground.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
