Barry hoping Nut makes Cheltenham

Michael Barry is hopeful Sweet As A Nut can recover from an infection in time to make the line up for the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.

The seven-year-old son of Vinnie Roe won two point-to-points last year before running out an easy 15-length winner on his racecourse debut in a maiden hunter chase at Limerick over Christmas.

The bay gelding since followed up in an open lightweight at Tallow earlier this month, and all roads now lead to the Festival.

"He is going for the Foxhunter," said the Fermoy-based Barry.

"He hasn't been great the last week as he has a dirty nose, but hopefully that will be sorted in the next week. He came out of the Tallow race fine, but he has an infection now and is on antibiotics.

"Hopefully we will have him right for Cheltenham on St Patrick's Day, it will be a dream come true to have a runner at Cheltenham. He is qualified anyway so he is going to get in, it's just about getting him there in one piece now.

"John Barry rode him the last few times and hopefully he will ride him again. My own rider, Ciaran Fennessy, got a bad fall earlier in the season so he is out injured.

"I'd be hoping he'll run well. It's a very competitive race with On The Fringe and the (Paul) Nicholls horse Wonderful Charm. If he ran well I'd be delighted, anything after that would be a bonus.

"I've never had a runner in England before. I'm only a small operation with a restricted licence, so it'll be a very big occasion for us if we get there."