Drumbaloo for Cheltenham while Gales stays at home

James Lambe is aiming his three time bumper winning son of Flemensfirth, Drumbaloo at the Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival assuming he pleases in a couple of planned racecourse workouts. Also a point-to-point winner, Drumbaloo will quite possibly be the Dungannon handler's sole representative in the Cotswolds.

Lambe explained this afternoon: "Drumbaloo definitely goes to Cheltenham. The plan is that he'll probably do a little bit of work after racing at Navan on Sunday and then he'll probably go to Leopardstown to do another little piece of work and if we're very happy with him we'll send him.

"I think he has as much right to line-up in it as any other horse. He is due to go to Navan on Sunday and have a little piece of work after racing - it'll not be too much because he is just back from a break. He is in full work, he is working well - he'll stretch his legs at Navan, maybe work over a mile and then we'll take him to Leopardstown (the day all the Cheltenham horses work) and we'll do a little bit of work with him and if we're happy he'll go to Cheltenham.

"He has won a point-to-point, a maiden bumper and two winners bumpers so he's probably got as much right as any other horse to line-up in it.

"He won in Hereford on goodish ground and it was testing when he won at Down Royal and Navan. My honest opinion is that he'd be a better horse on a little bit better ground.

"The form of his races is proper form. He beat Western Leader at Down Royal, who went on to beat Acapulco at Leopardstown and he in turn then went on to win at Navan. The form lines of the races are not bad.

"We'll have to see what is going to come out in the next week or two in bumpers. At the moment there isn't one standing out apart from DKs (has Elegant Concorde and Hidden Universe in the mix).

"At present he is the only horse that I have that you could justify taking to the Festival. We're working a couple of horses - Orbit O'Gold and Natal, if there is a race for one of them they could go over. Orbit O'Gold is due to run at Leopardstown in a handicap hurdle at the next meeting and we'll see how he gets on there."

Meanwhile Lambe also had news on another of his very promising young inmates: "High Gales goes to Punchestown for a two mile five furlong Grade 3 novice hurdle. We just thought after speaking to David Casey the last day after Navan, he just thought that Cheltenham, for him, a big galloping horse, mightn't suit. He'd probably be more suited by a flatter track. He is going to make into one hell of a chaser and we'll probably be better waiting another year.

"Punchestown or Fairyhouse are in our minds. At the moment there is a race there for him in Punchestown, a two mile five Grade 3 novice hurdle and that is what he is being prepared for."