O'Faolains has Down Royal option The Ascot Gold Cup and the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal are potential comeback targets for the long-absent Cheltenham Festival winner O'Faolains Boy. Narrow winner of the RSA Chase at Prestbury Park in March of last year, the Rebecca Curtis-trained eight-year-old has been sidelined by injury since disappointing at Aintree the following month. However, Curtis has been delighted with how he has recovered and plans to give him one run before a likely tilt at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury on November 28. "He's in great form and it's just a shame the ground seems to be getting quicker everywhere at the moment as he's a horse that has to have soft ground," said Curtis. "There's a possibility he could go to Ffos Las on Saturday for a racecourse gallop if the ground is safe enough and then we'll look to get him out somewhere at the end of October. "There's the Ascot Gold Cup (October 31) and the race at Down Royal on the same day, but it will be ground dependent. "After that we'll look towards the Hennessy. That's his main target." The Newport handler also had news of leading staying hurdler At Fishers Cross. Last seen finishing a creditable fourth in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham, the eight-year-old is unlikely to return until the second half of the season. "He's still at Martinstown Stud in Ireland and I think they've done a bit of work with him over the summer," said Curtis. "He didn't have an injury as such (at the end of last season), but he's obviously had a few niggly problems and we had a bit of trouble with his knees, so they've done a bit of work to hopefully help. "Hopefully he'll come back here in the next week or two, but I would have thought it will be well after Christmas until he runs again."
