Go Another One© Photo Healy Racing
John McConnell plans to send a strong team to Musselburgh this weekend including Grand National entry Go Another One who may revert to hurdles in the Pertemps Qualifier on Sunday.
The Stamullen trainer has enjoyed plenty of success with his regular raids across the Irish Sea, the latest of which came when Mahler Mission landed the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster last Saturday.
Go Another One has won a total of 13 races for connections including at Grade 3 level and McConnell said, “He’ll probably go for the Pertemps and we’ll try and qualify him for that.
“He has a mark of 145 over fences and I’ve entered him in the National so I might want to preserve that mark. He had a break after Cheltenham and is still in good form.”
The ten-year-old son of Stowaway, who also holds an entry in the bet365 Edinburgh National on Saturday, is held in great affection by the trainer who added, “He’s been a great servant and wouldn’t be out of place in a Pertemps if he did qualify for it.”
Streets Of Doyen is also a possible for the Pertemps Qualifier but McConnell is hopeful a recent operation will help the Galway Festival winner to continue over fences.
“He was disappointing in November and he had an operation for kissing spines after that. This might come a little bit too soon for him.
“He’s entered in the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham and we would like to get a run into him. We might stick to fences but if we did decide to try and qualify for the Pertemps he’d have a chance in it.
“His jumping got progressively worse last year and I think the more he jumped the more painful it was for him. Hopefully the operation has the done the job.”
Bardenstown Lad made it three wins from just four runs over hurdles when successful at Cheltenham in October and now returns to action in the bet365 Scottish Stayers’ Novices’ Hurdle on Saturday.
“He had his winter break after running in Cheltenham. Hopefully he can run well on Saturday and head for the Albert Bartlett after that. If he wins he’ll definitely go.”
Roi De Dubai is another with a Cheltenham Festival entry in the National Hunt Chase but is set for a step back in trip in the bet365 Frodon Novices’ Chase. “He’s also coming back off his winter break. He had a long old summer and he didn’t run to form the last day in Cheltenham,” said McConnell.
“He’s in good form now but will probably come on for the run. There won’t be too many runners and he’ll take his chance. He’ll head to Cheltenham after that if he runs respectably.”
Calvados, Innatendue and Meritorious are three juveniles that could also make the trip over to Scotland this weekend.
Calvados beat all bar Sea Sessions in a Listed race at Aintree in December and will bid to go one better in another Listed event, the bet365 Scottish Triumph Hurdle. “She’s a solid filly and will definitely run. Innatendue (who cost €100,000 at Arqana in November) won twice on the level in France and is a lovely filly. She jumps well and is really honest but obviously it would be a big step up into Listed class first time up (over hurdles).
“We may hold back with her and go for a Graded fillies bumper in Sandown at the start of March.”
Innatendue has an entry in the JCB Triumph Hurdle along with Meritorious, who was successful on the Flat for John Gosden off a mark of 80 at Newmarket last year before being snapped up for 65,000 guineas.
Meritorious was soundly beaten when switched to hurdles here on New Year’s Day but is set to return in the bet365 Scottish Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. “He was disappointing on his first run but we rushed him to get to it. He was a bit free and just wasn’t himself. He’s a better horse than that.”
Anna Bunina and Pearl Of The West both need to step up on recent form but could still take their chance in the bet365 Scottish County Handicap Hurdle.
McConnell is happy with the forecast ground conditions adding, “The going is good to soft at the moment and if it stays like that it will be fine for most of mine.”
