Cheltenham glory prize for Moscow

Cheltenham glory prize for Moscow

7 March 2012 - by RAPHAEL MASON

BALLYNOE trainer Brian Hamilton is hopeful that stable star Moscow Mannon can do him proud with a good run at Cheltenham next week.

The horse currently commands top spot at the head of the betting for the Champion Bumper following an eye-catching success at Gowran Park last time and Hamilton feels the six year-old son of Moscow Society deserves to take his chance in the big race.

“His bumper form is as good as any in Ireland and he is in great form at the moment,” said Hamilton.

“The manner of his success at Gowran Park last time out suggests he deserves his place in the race and I am hopeful he can handle the track and the occasion.

Following racing at Navan on Saturday Moscow Mannon took part in a racecourse gallop under big race jockey Declan Lavery and Hamilton expressed himself well pleased with the work-out.

The 42-year-old, who enjoyed a successful career as an accomplished amateur until injury forced him to retire from the saddle back in 2005, now trains a string of fifteen horses mixed between the track and point-to-point circuits.

“There’s plenty of pressure when you are doing the steering but even more so when you are the trainer as you have a lot more to deal with,” said Hamilton during a visit to his stableyard last week.

Hamilton and his team will leave for Cheltenham on Sunday to give his runner a couple of days to settle into his new surroundings prior to the race.

“I want to give him every chance to show what we know he is capable of. My biggest concern at the minute is how well he takes to the big race preliminaries at Cheltenham. It will be new territory for him in many ways and hopefully the occasion won’t get to him,” said Hamilton on Monday.

When asked what a win at Cheltenham would mean to his yard Hamilton didn’t take long to answer.

“Everyone wants a winner at Cheltenham and luckily I now have a horse good enough to line up at the Festival. It would be unbelievable if he could win with Declan riding,” said the local trainer.

Jonathan Flanagan’s Ballygowan owned gelding is the current market leader with most bookmakers and will no doubt carry a welter of local money for next Wednesday’s race.

A win for the locally owned, trained and ridden horse will no doubt capture the hearts of racing fans, not only in East Down, but across the country.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen but maybe, just maybe, the dream of a win the heart of the Cotswolds will come true and reward the dedication and hard work of a lifetime in racing for Hamilton.