Bythesametoken winning at Killarney last summer© Photo Healy Racing
Irish trainers send five horses to England on Saturday and while four of those travel to Ascot, Ross O'Sullivan has found a nice opportunity for Bythesametoken in a four-runner Haydock chase.
Fourteen Irish horses were entered set for the UK on Saturday and while trainer O'Sullivan initially hoped the Haydock race “might cut up to six or seven runners”, only three opponents have been declared for the £20,000 Betfred Handicap Chase.
Nine-year-old Bythesametoken is a five-time career winner and, from two UK runs this year, has finished second at Ayr and fourth at Kelso.
O'Sullivan reports "they (the handicappers) haven't missed him but we are starting to run out of options. There is Leopardstown on St Stephen's Day but it looks too good a race and the plan is to go to Haydock.
“Keith Donoghue rides him - he has won on him a couple of times. I'd be hopeful and couldn't be happier with him, he's in great nick.
"He is probably reaching his peak and doesn't have a pound to spare, but he will be very competitive. It is a good pot."
The other Irish runners race at Ascot, where Gavin Cromwell runs both Yeah Man and Hascoeur Clermont in the Howden Silver Cup Chase, Willie Mullins runs the Paul Byrne-trained Onlyamatteroftime in the Betfair Exchange Trophy with El Barra representing Conor O'Dwyer in the Howden Handicap Chase.
Quotes from Michael Graham
