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Rebel Fitz among Red Mills Hurdle twelve

Rebel Fitz on his way to victory at Cork in August of last yearRebel Fitz on his way to victory at Cork in August of last year
© Photo Healy Racing

As expected the Michael Winters trained Rebel Fitz features among the twelve horses entered for the Grade 2 Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran on Saturday.

The classy son of Agent Bleu won the Galway Hurdle in August and followed up on his next start at Cork.

He went off the short priced favourite for the Grade 2 Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle in October but he was surprisingly well beaten by Captain Cee Bee.

Off the track since that Tipperary defeat, the 8yo gelding holds an entry in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month and if he is to fulfil that engagement a strong showing will be required here.

Speaking this afternoon Winters, who also has Missunited entered, said: "The weather forecast doesn't look too good. We had desperate rain on Sunday night so the ground might come very heavy."

"Both horses are in great order, they are fit and healthy, but I wouldn't want to pulverise them.

"We'd love to get a run into them and there are other races to think about.

"There's a race at Mallow and the owners might want to go to Cheltenham.

"If the going's bad we won't run them but if they put Gowran off for a week we might have another look.

"Both horses are in great order and they are fit and healthy."

Champion trainer Willie Mullins is responsible for four of the entries, namely So Young, Thousand Stars, Midnight Game and last year’s winner Zaidpour.

The 2011 Cheltenham Festival winner Noble Prince is another notable entry while Arnaud, De Valira, Fosters Cross, Rory O’Moore and Hisaabaat complete the list of possibles.

About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.