Fan-favourite Forpadydeplasterer Will Miss Cheltenham with Injury
- By A.J. Ryder on February 16, 2011 19:14 GMT
One of the main contenders for the 2011 Ryanair Chase is off the Cheltenham trail after returning sick after being pulled up in the King George at Kempton. Connections had been hoping he would be set to go for the festival but they have clearly chosen to do right by the animal and not rush his return.
Speaking to the Racing Post, Forpady’s trainer Tom Cooper declared “he did improve briefly and began cantering, but (he) has failed to recover sufficiently and we’d be rushing him to get there.”
Cooper went on to speculate that the Punchestown festival is the likely target for the popular Irish-bred nine year-old son of Moscow Society.
A numer of punters had been looking to the 2009 Arkle winner as a banker for the bottom-end of their forecast tickets – a logical conclusion seeing as though Forpady managed to finish second in seven straight races throughout 2009/10.
A talented field is set to contest the Ryanair Chase with a tight contest emerging between Poquelin, Somersby and Tranquil Sea – each trading in the 4/1-6/1 corridor. Another popular fan-favourite, Captain Cee Bee, has recently seen his price cut by various bookmakers from 25/1 to 16/1.
