Nolan frustrated by Sandor Clegane reappearance The application of headgear is being considered by Paul Nolan for Sandor Clegane after he was left frustrated by the performance of his stablestar in the four-runner conditions hurdle at Clonmel yesterday. The Fame And Glory gelding was highly tried over fences last season when Grade 2 placed and connections decided to revert to hurdles for his seasonal debut in the Jim Strang And Sons Kilsheelan (Peugeot) Hurdle. However, Sean O’Keeffe’s mount was far from fluent over his hurdles in the three-mile event and couldn’t find any extra from before the last finishing runner-up to Franciscan Rock. “He was frustrating to watch although I thought he was going to run horrendously after two hurdles. Sean thought he would be tailed off, but he showed his class later in the race and came back on the bridle,” reflected Nolan. “He surrendered so much in jumping that fitness beat him. It was very frustrating when you have a horse changing back from fences and to jump like that. “I don't know what we'll do next and while there doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with him, maybe we'll put headgear on him.” The seven-year-old has won three times under Rules including the valuable Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Hurdle Series Final at the Punchestown Festival and was also a close up third in the ‘Albert Bartlett’ at Cheltenham last year. Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
