Pinkerton rerouted to Paddy Power at Christmas Pinkerton will be targeted at the €200,000 Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown on December 27 after missing out on a trip to Cheltenham this weekend due to travel difficulties. Damage caused by Storm Darragh closed the ferry port at Holyhead and resulted in the Ocovango gelding missing yesterday’s Nyetimber December Gold Cup Handicap Chase. “We were going to go to Cheltenham and then with the ferry situation which was tricky we’d have to go out through Rosslare or Larne which would be a long trip,” explained Meade before adding: “The owner was away skiing so we decided to give it a miss and the plan now is to go for the Paddy Power.” The eight-year-old has won three times over fences including the 2m6f Tote Galway Plate but has never raced over three miles. “I don’t know about the trip but there is no reason why he might not get it so we’ll see,” said the Castletown trainer. Meade concentrates more on Flat racing these days but will have a number of interesting runners over jumps in the coming weeks. Affordale Fury, runner-up in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle last year but absent for over 12 months since winning the first of two chase starts last term, is ready to make a welcome comeback. “Affordale Fury will run over Christmas but it’s very hard to find a race for him. He’s only run twice so he can’t run in a handicap. “There is no winners-of-one so he might go to Tramore. “If we want to get him into something like the Thyestes he’ll have to have another run. He’s in good form.” Big Chou won the Close Brothers Rated Novice Hurdle in fine style at Fairyhouse a fortnight ago and along with Messerschmitt, third in the Grade 3 Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle at the same venue, is on the Christmas team for Tu Va Stables. “Messerschmitt will run in the Grade 2 at Leopardstown, and I think he’ll come on a bit from his last run. “Big Chou will run in a handicap. I was going to put him over fences but there is a change of plan, and he’ll stay over hurdles for the moment.”
