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"End of October" start back for Apache

Apache StrongholdApache Stronghold
© Photo Healy Racing

Noel Meade is steadily gearing up Apache Stronghold for a belated reappearance next month.

The Grade One-winner has been sidelined since finishing third to Valseur Lido at Punchestown in April 2015.

He had beaten that horse when landing the Flogas Novice Chase at Leopardstown that February and was second to Vautour in the JLT Novices' Chase at Cheltenham the following month.

"We missed a full season with him messing around thinking we'd get him back and then last season we ended up having to pin-fire him and left him off for a whole year," Meade told At The Races.

"He's actually back now and cantering away and he has done as much cantering as most of them at this stage, so he should be out at the end of October.

"When you fire any of them you're always thinking do they retain their ability and age is coming on, but he hasn't a whole ton of mileage on him, so you'd hope. We've had an up and down career with him."