Fences beckon for Damut Damut is set to have his attentions turned to novice chasing when he returns in the autumn. The winner of four handicap hurdles in succession in 2015, Joe Dullea's charge has been off since running down the field at the Punchestown Festival. "He's back in about five weeks - we left him off for a summer's grass. He's in great form and the plan at the moment is to probably go chasing," revealed Dullea. "If a big handicap hurdle came up when he's ready in six or seven weeks we might put him in, as we keep getting told that there's a big one in him. We'll see what way the programme works out for us." Damut has advertised the training skills of former amateur rider Dullea, and the Edmond Cogan-owned and bred eight-year-old could be set for even greater heights when he reappears. "He's versatile enough when it comes to ground so there should be options as to where we start off. He ran in a point-to-point and I'd say he'll be better over fences. I didn't have him at the time but I saw the video and he was very good (to jump)," further explained Bandon, County Cork-based Dullea. "He has a bit of size and there should be no fear for him that way. "Hopefully there are good days ahead but it's very hard in this country for novice chasers. "Having said that, we still don't know how good he is. He scoped wrong and his bloods were wrong after Fairyhouse (underperformed in Graded company in December) and we couldn't get him back right. "Even when he ran in Punchestown, his bloods weren't wrong but they weren't where they were when he was winning. "He was as free as the wind that day too, but he was still right there over the second-last. Andrew (Lynch) actually got off him that day and said this is a Galway Hurdle horse but we still couldn't get his bloods right. "We just pulled the plug then and let him out because he was in a long time. He was on the go for at least a year and a half and the break surely won't have done him any harm."
