Heat too much for One Man

COUNTDOWN TO CHELTENHAM: Fitness becomes a key factor with the Festival's premier race just a week away

John Cobb
Thursday 09 March 1995 00:02 GMT
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BY JOHN COBB

The final days before any important race are always the most risky. With no time left for recovery, even small nicks and knocks can be disastrous and so it has proved with One Man. The Gordon Richards-trained grey, who has had next Thursday's Cheltenham Gold Cup as his target since winning the Hennessy Gold Cup back in November, is out of the race with heat in a leg, an outward sign of internal inflammation.

One Man, who at one stage had been among the Gold Cup favourites, stood at 14-1 yesterday morning as he had fallen on his last two outings.

His owner, John Hales, said: "He is not lame, but with the heat in his leg it was impossible to get the work into him to send him to Cheltenham 100 per cent fit. We will now aim him for Liverpool and the Martell Cup."

Richards's wife, Joanie, said: "The horse is 99 per cent right following his recent fall but you need to be 110 per cent for the Gold Cup. Due to the weather, we have been unable to get a gallop into him and that, combined with the possibility of heavy ground, forced us to make the decision."

Also likely to miss the Festival is Vintage Crop, Dermot Weld's Melbourne Cup winner who has been held in readiness for the Champion Hurdle in case his stable-companion Fortune And Fame is forced to miss the race. Vintage Crop is a far better horse on good ground and Weld said yesterday: "I hear they have had a fine day at Cheltenham today, but it would take more than one fine day for him to take his chance."

In fact the fine weather did not last the day and the going looks certain to be testing when the meeting starts on Tuesday. The clerk of the course, Philip Arkwright, reported: "We had a nice, drying morning but then we had a hail storm which has put us right back to where we were. The going on the Old Course for Tuesday's and Wednesday's racing is soft with heavy patches and on the New Course, where they race on Thursday, it is heavy." That will come as good news to those who have supported the mud lover Master Oats down to favouritism at 5-2.

Even better news for those travelling to the Festival is that the benefits of Guinness have received scientific approval. Ireland's favourite pint, fed through a stomach tube, has saved the life of the 2,000 Guineas winner Mister Baileys, it has been revealed in New Scientist. The stallion has been suffering from grass sickness, but the stout, together with cottage cheese, has helped him flush the toxins out of his system and on the road to recovery. Who said Guinness and Baileys don't mix.

RICHARD EDMONDSON

NAP: Tartan Moss

(Towcester 3.50)

NB: Sunley Bay

(Wincanton 3.30)

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