Apple’s Jade omission leaves sour taste

APPLE’S JADE is still highly unlikely to run in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival despite destroying the opposition in the Irish equivalent yesterday.

The Gordon Elliott-trained mare is as short as 2-1 second favourite for the feature race on the opening day of the Festival on March 12 after she strolled home 16 lengths clear of 2018 winner Supasundae.

It was a fourth win of the season for the versatile eight-year-old and 10th career grade one success.

She looks the most potent threat to dual Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D’Air, who in his final Festival prep-race routinely dismissed modest opposition to win the Contenders Hurdle for the third time at Sandown.

But despite Elliott saying all options will be left open, the mare’s owners, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary and his brother Eddie, are adamant nothing will sway them from their plan to win the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle — a grade one contest which Apple’s Jade landed in 2017 but one carrying much less cachet than the Champion Hurdle.

And that’s despite their No1 hope Samcro being ruled out of that race.

Apple’s Jade was beaten in that race last year but physical issues now sorted meant she is a radically different athletic specimen.

On yesterday’s showing the Mares’ Hurdle will be the nearest thing to a penalty kick as you can get at the Festival but Eddie O’Leary dismissed suggestions that dodging the Champion Hurdle would represent a lack of ambition.

Eddie O’Leary quipped: ‘She qualifies for the Mares’ Hurdle and we haven’t one gelding qualified for it!

‘We rule nothing out but, as of now, it is long odds-on she will run in the Mares’ Hurdle. I think people will remember her regardless of what race she runs in. She is a great mare.’ Day one of the Dublin Festival was good for Elliott. He also landed the grade one two-mile, six-furlong novice hurdle with Commander Of Fleet, who is now a big contender for the three-mile Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle, while Bumper winner Envoi Allen is also Cheltenham-bound.

Joseph O’Brien’s Le Richebourg cemented his slot as an Arkle Chase force with a super-efficient seven-length win under Mark Walsh in the Irish equivalent.

Min had an even easier time to land the grade one Dublin Chase for the second time but the race was marred by a fatal injury to Henry De Bromhead’s popular 2017 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Special Tiara.