Trip to Cheltenham on the cards for Caravation Trainer Philip Dempsey is considering a trip to Cheltenham with his progressive mare Caravation. The daughter of Presenting showed high-class form in the bumper sphere before being sent jumping in December. After filling the runner-up spot on her first two starts over hurdles, the six-year-old made it third time lucky with a comprehensive victory over subsequent winner Great White Shark at Navan last month, and followed up little over a fortnight later at the same venue. Dempsey is considering stepping his charge up in class at Prestbury Park next week. He said: “Caravation may go to Cheltenham for a Listed hurdle on Thursday week if the ground is reasonable. “She’s entered in the Grade One at Fairyhouse (Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final, April 21) as well.” Ground conditions are likely to be a key factor in deciding whether Dempsey’s Derrinross will run again before the end of the season. The Grade Three and Grade Two winner was not disgraced in finishing sixth in the Albert Bartlett at last month’s Cheltenham Festival and his trainer is keen to run him at the upcoming Punchestown Festival — provided there is ease in the ground. Dempsey added: “Derrinross is in good form and if we get a bit of rain he’ll go for the three-mile novice hurdle in Punchestown. He’ll go chasing next season, and if the ground is soft we could give him a run over fences in the spring.”
