Beef update

Beef Or Salmon has been given a ´week off´ by Michael Hourigan after mucus was found in his lungs when runner-up to Rule Supreme in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown last Sunday.

The Patrickswell trainer said today, ´He´s been given some antibiotics, and we just left him in a paddock during the past week. He hasn´t been scoped since last Sunday, so I won´t really know how he´s progressing until we work him next week.´

The top-rated Irish staying chaser was found to have an ´upper respiratory tract infection´ at Leopardstown, and Hourigan now has less than five weeks to get him ready for the Cheltenham Gold Cup - a race he finished fourth to Best Mate in last season.