Yanworth on target for Cross Country bid

Yanworth is on course for the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and will have a prep run at Punchestown next month.

The J P McManus-owned gelding won 12 times for Alan King including Grade 1 events over hurdles at Kempton and Aintree but was switched to Enda Bolger last year for a new career in the Cross Country sphere after losing his way.

The son of Norse Dancer made a bright start when landing the Risk Of Thunder at Punchestown in November but fell after halfway the following month at Cheltenham.

Bolger reports the ten-year-old in good form saying, “He’s fine after the fall in Cheltenham. They always take a run around there to get them right.

“He’ll go to Punchestown (on February 9) for the PP Hogan cross country and then on to Cheltenham.

“JP has bought the French horse, Easysland, who won at Cheltenham and is with David Cottin.

“I don’t really have anything else for Cheltenham as Josies Orders is more of a Punchestown horse now. Yanworth still has that bit of class.”

Staker Wallace made a promising return in the hunter chase at Naas on Sunday after nearly three years on the sidelines.

The very lightly-raced son of King’s Theatre only gave best on the run-in when second to Billaway and Bolger is hopeful he can build on the performance.

“He’s a very big horse who has been hard to keep right and hence why he hasn’t ran for so long.

“He’s been training well and Aine (O’Connor) said he was probably a bit over-fresh at Naas. He was probably doing too much for his first run.

“Where we go I don’t know as he’s not qualified for any of the races at the moment but with that second in Naas and if we get another hunter chase into him he might be qualified then.”