Galway beckons for recent McConnell Bellewstown winners Trainer John McConnell has been outlining plans for recent impressive Bellewstown winners Encanto Bruno and Intense Approach. The former, who won his sole point-to-point start and first two bumpers, before finishing mid division in the Cheltenham bumper, made a highly satisfactory beginning to his hurdling career with an easy win at the County Meath venue earlier this month. Despite the fact connections view him more as a stayer, the five-year-old had enough pace to cope with dropping back to 2m for this first venture over flights. McConnell said of the Derek Kierans owned gelding: “Encanto Bruno could go to Galway but I’d say he’ll end up in Cheltenham in October. He's not a winter heavy- ground Navan horse. He'll have a little break and hopefully come back for the festivals if he is good enough. You would be hopeful (he is good enough)." Meanwhile, Intsense Approach, who easily justified odds-on favouritism when making all to win his bumper at the same Bellewstown meeting, also has Galway on his agenda. “Intense Approach won at Bellewstown recently and he might go for a winners bumper in Galway," added McConnell. "He's a good horse, he did (come with a good price tag) and was very highly recommended by Warren Ewing. Anything he is doing now is only a bonus - when he matures and goes jumping, he should be another nice one.
