No Beef On The Menu At Gowran

Beef Or Salmon will miss Saturday´s National Lottery Agent Champion Chase at Gowran Park due to fast ground and will instead run on the Flat in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh a day later.

Michael Hourigan is hoping to give the nine-year-old his first start of the season in the Hackett´s Bookmakers-sponsored contest, although there needs to be give in the ground for him to line-up.

'He´s going to run on Sunday, provided it rains,' said a stable spokesperson.

'He was put in both races as a precaution, but he´s in good form and hopefully it will start him off for a good season.'

Central House will also miss the Gowran race after his trainer, Dessie Hughes, decided conditions would be too quick for the eight-year-old.

After walking the track, the Curragh-based handler said: 'I won´t run him as the ground is good to firm.

'We´ll wait and see where we go now, maybe Punchestown later this month.

'If the ground came up soft for Cheltenham´s Open meeting I might bring him over for that - there´s a two-mile race there for him.

'He´s done well over the summer and he´s ready to run. He doesn´t take a lot of work and he´s in good form at the moment.'

(C) PA Sport