Inconclusive trials at both Gowran Park and Navan provided more questions than answers regarding Cheltenham.
Nick Dundee looked like a horse either lacking confidence or feeling a slight injury in the Red Mills Trial Chase at Gowran Park. He appeared hesitant on the approach to many of the fences and paid the price when making a mess of the fourth last, dumping Norman Williamson in the process.
Edward O'Grady's stable-star will be entered for a two mile Chase at Naas this Sunday, but his participation will hinge on how he performs in a schooling session during the week.
His preparation for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup has gone pear-shaped and, with time very much against him, his connections have some tough decisions to make.
The form of Youlneverwalkalone's victory on the same Gowran Park card has as many holes as a sizeable block of Emmenthal. His main market rival, Mantles Prince, finished lame, the runner-up is still a maiden and veteran Chaser Dorans Pride was too close for comfort in third.
On the positive side Youlneverwalkalone showed no ill affects from his two recent mishaps in England and settled well for Conor O'Dwyer. He is a very talented horse on soft ground and two wins from his last six starts do not do him justice. His Cheltenham target remains up in the air as sadly a clash with his owner's Istabraq in the Smurfit Champion Hurdle is not on the cards and it is likely that he will instead join his stablmate Bannow Bay in the Stayers' Hurdle.
Limestone Lad booked his place in the Stayers' Hurdle with a work-man-like victory in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan. The three and a half length runner-up Boss Doyle is rated 26LB inferior to Limestone Lad and gave him 2LB.
It was the performance of Catch Ball in the same race that may prove a better pointer to next month's festival. Willie Mullins' improving handicapper was still travelling well in third place when she fell at the penultimate flight. The 3m2f Ladbroke Casinos Final Handicap Hurdle could be right up her street.
Apprentice jockey Tom Queally must be under immense pressure. The riding sensation of last season finds himself embroiled in a tug-of-war between his master Pat Flynn and his own parents. On his behalf, his parents recently failed in their bid to have his indentures with Flynn cancelled and transferred to his father Declan.
At the tender age of sixteen, I am sure that all he wants to do is go out and ride winners, but his parents see the bigger picture and don't like what they see. Under the terms of his apprenticeship, 60% of his earnings go to his master and on the surface this would appear draconian.
Many of the winners he rode last season were from outside the stable, but even when riding for his own stable, Flynn automatically received a percentage of the prize money. So it seems to be a win-win situation for the trainer, he gets his normal percentage when his horse wins, he gets 60% of his apprentice's earnings and in the process keeps his owner happy.
The other side of the argument has parallels with soccer clubs. Like racehorse trainers, they employ and nurture young talent and deserve to reap the rewards for their time and effort when they unearth a raw diamond.
Soccer clubs across Europe currently find themselves entangled in protracted negotiations with the EU over the legality of long-term contracts and there is the possibility that racing may come under similar scrutiny.
It is also worth pointing out that Queally was not exactly a diamond in the raw when he joined Flynn, having cut his teeth on the pony racing circuit where he was a champion.
The latest twist for Queally came this week when his parents announced that he might not ride during the forthcoming season, as they do not want his schooling to be disrupted. Now he has been reduced to playing the part of a pawn in a futile game of tit-for-tat. Whatever the outcome to this saga, the talented apprentice is unlikely to emerge unscathed, although I suppose there is no such thing as bad publicity.
