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Solwit Champion Hurdle run in serious doubt.

Solwit, the second favourite for this season's Smurfit Capa Champion Hurdle, has scoped dirty this morning, and his participation at the Cheltenham Festival is now in serious doubt.

Speaking about today's events, trainer Charles byrnes said,

"His scope this morning was dirty, and he was immediately put on antibiotics. He was due to racvel over on Saturday, but he will have another scope at the end of the week, and we will then make a final decision on whether he goes for the Champion Hurdle."

Pipe hunting another Imperial success.

With his father Martin Pipe having won the Imperial Cup at Sandown on six occasions, it isnot suprising David Pipe is keen to follow the family tradition, and so far he has already had two winners of the ultra competitive hurdle. In Saturday's renewal he could have two runners in the form of recent Warwick winner Hunterview and Salut Flo, a winner at Doncaster last Friday.

Based on Pipe's comments, French import Salut Flo is more likely to stick to steeplechasing on his next outing, but with Hunterview already entered in the Fred Winter at Cheltenham, Pipe could be eyeing the £50,000 bonus on offer from Imperial Cup sponsers Paddy Power for any horse who can win the Imperial Cup and then follow up with a win at the Cheltenham Festival.

Meade anxious over Cheltenham watering policy.

With his Go Native in line to pick up a million pound bonus if he can add this year's Champion Hurdle to the Fighting Fifth and Christmas Hurdle victories, Noel Meade has expressed his concerns today over Cheltenham's announced policy of watering their courses ahead of next week's Festival Meeting.

Elaborating on his concerns, Meade said:

"Go Native prefers good ground, and although he won last year's Supreme Novices Hurdle on good to soft ground, I do not want Simon Claisse to put too much water on the track. I know that would suit plenty who prefer soft conditions, but it does not suit Go Native, nor is it right that genuine good ground should be altered artificially to suit horses who prefer to get their toe in."

Editor's Comment: I have a feeeling this watering subject is going to run and run before the start of next week's Cheltenham Festival.

Connections only hopeful over Ustedes chances.

Sir Robert Ogden's racing manager Barry Simpson admits the Arkle Trophy and Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Voy Pour Ustedds goes in search of a third Cheltenham Festival win in next week's Ryanair Chase more in hope than expectation. Speaking today, Simpson said,

"When he chased Imperial Commander home in last year's Ryanair Chase, he went into the race as an odds on favourite, but twelve months later his lack of form makes him a 16/1 shot, and yet, despite his lack of recent success, he will go into the race in good shape, and we are hopeful the predicted good ground and return to Cheltenham will rekindle the same sort of form which saw him go so close in last year's race."

Aintree bound Wogan to by-pass Cheltenham.

Owner Peter Deal has ruled Saturday's Grimthorpe Chase winner Wogan out of a run at the Cheltenham Festival.

Having been off the track for nearly 18 months due to injury, Wogan has showed his return to form with two successive chase wins at Doncaster's Town Moor racecourse, and Deal believes he will be better suited to the flat track at Aintree rather than Cheltenham's undulations, and after consultations with trainer Nicky Henderson, Deal has pencilled in one or two targets at the three day Aintree meeting for his progressive novice chaser.

Newcastle to hold precautionary inspection.

Although overnight frost has affected Newcastle's High Gosforth Park Racecourse for the last threenights, temperatures each morning have risen sufficiently to melt any frozen patches on the racing circuits, and while Newcastle Clerk of the Course James Armstrong expects the weather to follow the same pattern over the next 24 hourse, ahead of Tuesday afternoon's proposed national hunt meeting, Armstrong has decided to hold a precautionary inspection of his course at 8.00 am on Tuesday morning, for as he says:

"It is possible we could have a harder frost tonight, and while I am very hopeful Tuesday's card will go ahead, it is better to be cautious and to check these things out nearer the time."

Daly gets Possol checked out for back problem.

Henry Daly suspects Possol may have tweaked muscles in his back during Saturday's Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster. The pre-race favourite was pulled up before the eleventh fence after getting himself tailed off, and his trainer is now keen to allow aback specialist to assess his gelding on Tuesday morning.

Discussing the situation, Daly commented,

"We are not really sure why he put in such a poor run after two very sound hurdle victories, but we believe it could be related to muscels in his back, and we want a specialist to take a look on Tuesday. BNaturally, the potential injury puts his Grand National run in jeopardy, but I suppose we will just have to wait and see what is diagnosed."

Another Grimthorpe runner due for a medical check is Iris de Balme. Sean Curran's 2008 Scottish Grand National winner had made a pleasing return from long term injury when finishing fifth in a hurdle race at Wetherby last month, but failed to show in Saturday's return to chasing, and with the Aintree Grand National as his main target for the current season, Curran has now decided to give his charge a full medical check before making any firm future plans.

Slight set-back for Cheltenham Foxhunters favourite.

Robert Waley Cohen reports Cheltenham Foxhunters anti post favourite Roulez Cool has suffered a slight muscle problem in his hind quarters, and it means he will be on the 'easy list' for the next 48 hourse, and as Waley Cohen sums up,

"It is not an ideal situation, as it means Roulez Cool will miss some work prior to the Foxhunters, but I am confident it is not serious enough to prevent him from running in the race, and he has already done a lot of work, so it should not be too much of an inconvenience to his overall preparation for Cheltenham."

Harty ultra confident about Captain's chances.

Eddie Harty believes Captain Cee Bee has it all going for him in this year's Irish Independant Arkle Challenge Trophy at next week's Cheltenham Festival.

"He is in the formof his life, and his Supreme Novices Hurdle win in 2008 proves he can handle Cheltenham. If anything, his last fence fall at Leopardstown over Christmas was due to lack of concentration because he was going so well, and based on his recent schooling exercises, he has left that mistake well behind him. I suppose Long Run, Somersby and Sizing Europe will be his main challengers, but to be honest, I feel they all have to beat my fellow if they wan to win this year's Arkle."

Cheltenham Charity Song due for imminent launch.

The hype and anticipation is building as the release date of the official Cheltenham Festival song fast approaches. Friday 12 March will be the official release date of the single, ‘Cheltenham’, and racing fans across Britain and Ireland have it firmly placed in their diaries in hope of making the single Number One in the respective national charts ahead of the Festival.

The parody of Petula Clark’s 1964 hit ‘Downtown’, and now renamed ‘Cheltenham’ was first broadcast on Radio 2 on Sarah Kennedy’s show last Friday. The single which hopes to hit the Number One spot in the UK and Irish charts the weekend before the Cheltenham Festival will see all funds benefit four worthwhile racing charities including; The Bob Champion Cancer Trust, Riding for the Disabled, Racing Welfare and the Rehabilitation Hospital in Ireland.

After two successful recordings in London and Dublin with more than 40 racing faces taking part including; A P McCoy, Paul Nicholls, Clive Smith and Sam Thomas in London, and Tracy Piggott, Jessie Harrington, Noel Meade, Edward O'Grady, Barry Geraghty, Tom Taaffe, Charlie Swan, Davy Russell, Robert Power , Colm Murphy, Andrew McNamara, Paul Nolan and Davy Condon in Dublin. Interest has been building and Paddy Power have priced up the chances of the single hitting the Number One spot in both the UK and Irish charts at 10/1 and 8/1 respectively.

The lead vocalist on the track is 25 year-old pop/country and soul singer, Laura Critchley who won best Live entertainer in 2008 at the Irish Entertainment Awards and has supported the Sugababes and Boyzone at the RDS Stadium previously.

Cheltenham’ will be available for download from all digital stores, including iTunes, 7 digital and all mobile networks from 12 March. To download text 'music 5271 m' to 57501.

The actual CD will be available from 15 March from selected HMV stores, and online at hmv.co.uk and amazon.co.uk giving fans nationwide, one week to make the iconic tune a Number One chart hit during the Festival.
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