Steve Mahon© Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Stephen Mahon is hoping for a good day at Killarney on Saturday with both Aranhill Chief and Michael Valentine set to run.
Aranhill Chief won twice at the Galway Festival and is now set to tackle At The Races Handicap Chase, with Mahon looking towards bigger targets such as Cheltenham and Aintree should all go well.
He said: "He is in good form in spite of his two runs at Galway. He's in great order, eating and drinking well. Obviously I'm not doing much with him. There doesn't seem to be any repercussions from Galway.
"He's a very versatile horse and I think he is well treated off 119 over fences. He is rated higher over hurdles, but he is at the top end of his hurdling. I think he can progress nicely over fences. He's a better horse on good ground than soft ground.
"Should he keep progressing you would think he could be a Cheltenham or Liverpool horse, maybe one of the handicap chases at Cheltenham. We'll look to schedule a programme that would take him there and to the Galway Plate next year. He'll probably get an entry at Bellewstown, but he would probably be top-weight in the hurdle race there and I'd be inclined to bypass that if he was."
Michael Valentine has yet to sparkle in seven racecourse outings but Mahon is hoping he can start to translate his homework to the track as he eyes a run in the SeanieMac.com Beginners Chase.
Mahon said: "He has grown up to be a big gangly horse and you would say he hasn't fulfilled his potential as he goes well at home. He just looks like a big raw five-year-old and yet he's an eight-year-old.
"He would prefer nicer ground which hopefully he'll get."
