Gilt Shadow © Photo Healy Racing
Stuart Crawford is praying for rain ahead of the Punchestown Festival to allow Gilt Shadow to take his chance in the Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle on April 30.
The six-year-old filled the runner-up spot in the championship bumper at last year's Festival and made an impressive start to his jumping career at Down Royal in early November.
He disappointed in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse on his next appearance, but ran with far more promise on his latest outing, finishing third behind the Willie Mullins-trained Sure Reef in January's Synergy Security Solutions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Crawford said: "Punchestown would be the plan for Gilt Shadow, but it will be ground dependent.
"The way it's drying up at the minute is not going to be suiting him and we'd kind of be hoping that there'd be a bit of rain coming.
"Time will tell, but he's well and fit and in good form.
"If ground conditions are right then we'll run him and if they don't come right he'll probably go to the field."
