Jockeys leaving the weighroom at Tipperary© Photo Healy Racing
William Jarvis expects Chief Ironside to relish softer conditions as long as they do not become extreme for Tipperary’s Coolmore Stud Home of Champions Concorde Stakes.
Hardy battler Chief Ironside has not encountered anything approaching soft ground since his seasonal debut in April, when it was just on the easy side at Newbury.
The three-year-old has gone on to win his share of admirers in seven runs over the past six months, which culminated in Group Three placings at Goodwood and York’s high-profile August meetings.
Jarvis is pitching him in at the same level as he takes on the likes of home hopes Imaging and Psychedelic Funk in Sunday’s feature race on a card which always provides an intriguing mix of Flat and jumps.
The Newmarket trainer has given Chief Ironside a six-week break since his latest third to Lord Glitters on the Knavesmire.
“He’s in very good form and this looks like a nice opportunity for him,” Jarvis said.
“It looks like it’s going to be soft at the moment, but I’ve always been quite keen to get him running with a bit of give in the ground.
“Whether it is going to be too soft, I hope not.
“I don’t want to run him on extremes, but (jockey) Fran Berry does not seem to think the ground is going to be like that, and I think they have a couple of dry days forecast.”
Ireland has more often than not produced its own winner of the Concorde of late, so it will be a notable effort to wrest it away this time.
“Absolutely,” Jarvis added.
“He’s going great, and you wouldn’t send a horse all the way to Ireland unless you thought he had a very good each-way chance at least.”
