Racing: Suny times again for Sherwood

SIMON SHERWOOD probably does not deserve another Cheltenham Festival winner. He has enjoyed great glories both as a jockey and a trainer, bathing him in the spotlight sufficiently.

When Desert Orchid won a Gold Cup he was the man blessed to be at the controls, but it was not a spinning occasion he let go to his head.

These days at least, Sherwood is not a hampers and champers customer who attends Prestbury Park just for the bubbles. He goes to compete. He goes to win. "I've had five runners at the meeting, two winners and a third," the master of Uplands said yesterday.

Dusty Miller and Duke Of Monmouth were the training athletes, animals which complemented the other achievements around a saddle, including a victory for Barnbrook Again in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

There were nine Festival winners in six years as a jockey for Sherwood, but the ones that matter now are the stamping beasts that will charge the tape next week. This hopeful team includes Door To Door, No Forecast, who was second to the much vaunted favourite for the bumper, Golden Alpha, at Newbury recently, and Suny Bay.

Old Suny would have been favourite to win a Blue Riband had the evidence been limited to the end of last year. The sparkling grey beat Escartefigue by five lengths, giving him 4lb, at Haydock in November, which now transpires to be golden form. It is also forgotten form.

What seems more pertinent is a run at Leopardstown, where Suny Bay was pulled up. It seems he now has to do the same with his socks. "He had that blip in Ireland and everyone seemed to forget about him," Sherwood says. "He had a bit of a sore throat when he came back but I think the reason was the [sticky] ground. I don't think he wants dead ground and now he's a relatively fresh horse.

"He's intended to go for both this and Liverpool and he is realistically a Grand National type even when he may be handicapped worse for that race. He's got one bit of work and one more bit of school and hopefully he'll be at Cheltenham.

"He wins first time out every season so that's the idea about freshening him up for this. He's not running at the Festival for the sake of it. He's not a social runner."

Direct Route may not be a runner at the meeting at all. The one-time favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase has had his preparation punctured at the lodgings of his trainer, Howard Johnson (not that hotelier, not the same comforts).

Direct Route burst a blood vessel when disappointing behind Teeton Mill at Ascot last time and the recuperation is proving somewhat drawn out. Johnson is serious enough to talk about ruling his eight-year-old out, though a definite bulletin will come only at the end of the week. "It's completely flooded out here and he hasn't been out of his box," the trainer said yesterday. "To be honest, I haven't a clue what to do with him."

The same analysis could apply to Challenger Du Luc, who is either enigmatic or a complete dog depending on whether you have backed him at the right time. The occasional warrior is one of four Martin Pipe entries in the Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday, which may see his return over hurdles.

This is a contest which Pipe won 12 months ago with Blowing Wind, who went on to secure a pounds 50,000 bonus by also collecting the County Hurdle the following week.

Challenger Du Luc is also entered in the Coral Cup and the Mildmay of Flete and may also be seen flipping burgers in a towable van such is Pipe's apparent eagerness to get the best return out of him. Others who may attempt to replicate a Pipe Sandown and Cheltenham double are Dr Jazz and Heros Fatal.

Dr Jazz, who is in the County Hurdle, was runner-up to the highly rated novice The Fly at Newbury on his latest start, while Heros Fatal, a consideration for both the Coral Cup and County Hurdle, arrives for the Festival armed with a victory at Lingfield last month.