3 minute read
Having seen several of his former proteges light up the Cheltenham Festival in previous years, Andrew Slattery is looking forward to saddling his first ever runner at the showpiece meeting next month in the form of promising juvenile hurdler Sir Allen.
The County Tipperary is better known as a Flat trainer under Rules, with Group Two scorer Creggs Pipes and Listed-winning sprinter An Saighdiur among the more familiar names to have been in his care.
He is no stranger to the jumping game either, though, having brought a number of future stars through his point-to-point academy, most notably the brilliant Faugheen.
Andrew Slattery watched on from afar as one of the most popular National Hunt horses of recent times powered up the Cheltenham hill to win a Champion Hurdle for Willie Mullins in 2015, while Cooldine was another Festival winner for the same team in the 2009 RSA Chase.
He said: "We sold Faugheen after he won his point-to-point, as well as Cooldine. We also had a good horses like Monksland, Quel Esprit and Shan Blue.
"We sold all those after their point-to-points, so while plenty of them have run at Cheltenham, we've never actually had a runner there ourselves.
"We've had a few runners at Royal Ascot, but never Cheltenham, so it's something to look forward to."
Sir Allen is rated in the 60s on the Flat, but has not done much wrong in three starts over hurdles this winter.
After chasing home leading Triumph Hurdle contender Blood Destiny on his jumping bow at Cork, the Territories gelding went one better at Punchestown on New Year's Eve before following up at Naas last weekend in a rated novice event that has produced three of the last four winners of the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham in Band Of Outlaws, Aramax and Brazil.
Slattery is not ruling out a more ambitious tilt at the Triumph Hurdle at Prestbury Park, but admits the handicap route would appear the logical one at this stage.
"Everything seems good and he's in good shape after his race, so we're hopefully heading for the Boodles I suppose," the trainer added.
"We've got an Irish mark of 127 now and we'll have to wait and see what he gets in England.
"He's also in the Triumph, but he'd have a about a stone and a half to find, so we'll aim for the Boodles unless it looks like the Triumph is going to cut up to be a small field, which could happen.
"The Boodles ends up being very competitive and with 20 runners you could run into traffic problems, and the track the Triumph is run over (New Course) might actually suit him better as he stays very well."
Slattery admits he had high hopes Sir Allen would take to hurdling from an early stage.
He said: "It was really after we started schooling him as he took to it so well the first time we tried and you know they could be fairly useful when they've the appetite for it.
"There's still plenty to be won with him on the Flat as well I think. He probably should be rated higher than he is, but he kept getting left in the stalls.
"He goes on any ground, so that is something to hopefully look forward to as well."
