Ground Crucial To Oscar Bid

Harry Rogers hopes the weather relents so that Silent Oscar can make his belated seasonal debut in the AIG Europe Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.

The County Louth-based trainer has been keeping his smart nine-year-old under wraps during the prolonged wet spell, and he is now praying the rain stays away.

'At the moment he runs, I just hope it dries up a bit. We'll just see the way the weather is during the week,' said Rogers.

'He's very well, but he doesn't handle this (heavy) ground and that's why we've been holding on to him.'

Should Silent Oscar miss the AIG, then he is likely to go to Gowran Park on February 16.

'He'd probably go to Gowran for the Red Mills then hopefully to Cheltenham if everything goes right,' the trainer added.

Silent Oscar is 25-1 with most bookmakers for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He has not been since beating Jessica Harrington's ill-fated Macs Joy in the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown in April.

Henry De Bromhead, meanwhile, is on the lookout for a jockey to ride his contender, Sizing Europe.

Denis O'Regan struck up a good partnership with the gelding last year and had been approached for the ride ? as well as in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham ? but the 14-day ban he picked up for riding a finish a circuit too soon has ruled him out.

Timmy Murphy was on board when Sizing Europe was last seen when winning the Greatwood Hurdle, but he is committed to Al Eile.

'He's in good form, we worked him on Friday and he worked nicely so he seems well, all things are good,' said De Bromhead.

'Physically he is improving the whole time, he was only a frame of a horse last year and he's filling out now.

'Timmy is definitely committed to Al Eile so there are a few guys there to chose from, we are just not sure at the moment.

'We had agreed to use Denis O'Regan for the AIG and the Champion Hurdle but unfortunately he picked up a ban. It's a bit up in the air but no doubt we will secure someone before the weekend.

'He's a straightforward ride but you would love a bit of consistency as well. The guys who have ridden him all got on well with him,' he told At The Races.

(C) PA Sport