O'Loughlin happy to keep it simple with Sidetracked

Gearoid O’Loughlin is planning to keep it low-key with Sidetracked following his victory in the John O’Donnell General Merchant, Clare Marts and Linnanes Lobster Bar Open Lightweight at Belharbour point-to-point on Sunday.

Successful at Clonmel on his penultimate start, Sidetracked, who is a half-brother to the great Cue Card, since unseated at Thurles.

Back ‘between the flags’, the son of Beneficial faced a tough task against the likes of Burning Ambition and Samanntom.

However, he accounted for those rivals comfortably, hitting the front from four out under James Hannon before going on to see off stablemate Home Farm by a length.

O’Loughlin, who is a Clare native, trains both the first and second for owner Chris Jones, and said: “We took them down to the beach on Monday morning and they are both very, very well in themselves. They’ve come out of it brilliant and I’m delighted with them.

“We took them to Mornington beach and walked them up and down in the water for an hour. They seem to recover quicker after it.

“I had it in my head to go to Belharbour with Home Farm. I rode a winner there before and now I’ve trained a winner there so it’s great.

“When Sidetracked unseated at Thurles I felt he hadn’t got a race, so I thought I’d bring him too and make a man of him.

“I don’t know the stats, but I don’t think too many six-year-olds win Open Lightweights. James gave him a great ride.

“I had no one to ride him on Saturday evening and I was going to put Ray (Barron) on Sidetracked and ride Home Farm myself, but James rang me then and I’d know him well.

“I was surprised we beat Burning Ambition, but I felt my two were awful well in themselves. I felt Home Farm wouldn’t be out of the first four.

“I’ll try to keep it low key with Sidetracked. I wouldn’t go across the water with him because he is progressing and he’ll be a lovely horse to have next year. He wouldn’t have the experience against those type of horses anyway.

“The plan is go for the race at Navan on February 17 (the Boardsmill Sires Hunters Chase).

“I won’t get Home Farm qualified for Cheltenham. I have entered for Sunday at Punchestown over the banks and he could run in that and then perhaps go for the banks race at Cheltenham.

“Otherwise he could also run in the race at Navan. We’ll see what way he is at the end of the week. We are taking it day by day with him.

“The plan was for Ray to ride him in the banks race at Punchestown on Sunday, but unfortunately Ray broke his chin and his jaw in the last race at Belharbour.”