Sublimity is likely to miss the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle and head straight for Cheltenham as trainer Robbie Hennessy bids to recapture the glory of his triumph three years ago in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
The Ratoath handler had intended to bring Sublimity, runner-up on both outings this term including behind Solwhit in the Leopardstown Golf December Festival Hurdle last month, back for the "Toshiba" at Leopardstown on January 24.
However the snow lying on the track has to thaw first and that may soften the going too much for the top-of-the-ground ten-year-old.
"Our gallop is frozen, so it has been hard work getting horses out," Hennessy told the Racing Post. "Dundalk and the gallops on the Curragh are open, but the first day we were able to get out to either was when we went to the Curragh yesterday. Even then it was snowing heavily and the roads were still very bad."
"Fortunately, most of our horses ran over Christmas so the hold-ups the snow is causing should not hamper our plans too much."
"Sublimity had a week off after his run and has cantered somewhere every day this week. He was one of three we took to the Curragh for a breeze and he was in great form, but I am concerned that when all this thaws out the ground will come up too heavy for him to run in the Irish Champion Hurdle."
"Should that happen, he'll go straight to Cheltenham and at this stage that looks the most likely option."
If skipping the Grade 1, Sublimity could miss out on a rematch with Solwhit, who has been pencilled in for the Irish Champion Hurdle since his win at Leopardstown on December 29.
