Carberry Hoping For Soft Option

Paul Carberry is hoping for soft ground at Prestbury Park on March 17 to boost Beef Or Salmon's bid to make it fourth time lucky in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The talented 10-year-old may not have the most inspiring record at the Festival but everything looks right this time for Michael Hourigan's eight-time Grade One winner, who capped his preparations when surviving a blunder at the fifth-last to claim the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup earlier this month.

'He jumped very well bar that one mistake and his preparation this year has been a lot better than any other year,' said Carberry.

'We need to keep him right before we get there and hopefully he will be hard to beat on the day. A bit of soft ground would help. If there was a bit of soft ground he would jump a bit better.

'If it is quick he is a bit more careful but he has been jumping a lot better these days,' the jockey told At The Races.

? PA Sport