Oscar Barton (right) with On The Fringe© Photo Healy Racing
Christie's Foxhunter Chase market-leader, Oscar Barton is likely to have a tune-up for the Cheltenham Festival at a point-to-point in Oldtown, County Dublin, this Sunday.
The Gordon Elliott-trained ten-year-old has emerged as a major player in this division and he's done current connections proud since coming under their care last May.
Now owned by Kaniz Bloodstock Investments Limited, which includes well-known Limerick couple, Bobby and Honora Donworth of Roundhill Stud (breeders of the likes of Rizeena), Oscar Barton has won three point-to-points and a hunter chase in recent months.
The Donworth's son, Tim, has been aboard for all those triumphs, including when the rejuvenated performer slammed odds-on favourite On The Fringe to the tune of nineteen lengths, at Down Royal, on St Stephen's Day.
Tim Donworth is looking forward to the spring now and he explained: "That point-to-point (Oldtown) would be one of the local ones to Gordon's yard.
"Hopefully he'll run in the Open and then perhaps give Leopardstown a skip (the Raymond Smith Memorial Hunters Chase on Hennessy Day on February 8th). Then it would be straight to the Festival.
"We just kind of felt that the horse has had five or six runs already this season and maybe we should have a nice run in a point-to-point to save him getting a hard race at Leopardstown. Then hopefully we might have something left for after Cheltenham as well.
"He's in great form and we're hoping to go over to Cheltenham and have a nice time and you'd never know what might happen.
"He's taken on the best of them in Ireland, though he hasn't seen that horse belonging to Willie Mullins (Prince De Beauchene). He's not qualified for Cheltenham anyway.
"Of the English the likes of Teaforthree would be a potentially interesting rival. However, I think it's fair to say that he can go across as the main Irish hope, at the moment on form.
"Maybe On The Fringe will come out and win that Leopardstown hunter chase by a mile, and everybody will be saying he's back to his best, but we'll be going there with a good chance. We'll enjoy it win, lose or draw."
