Owl fine after debut flop Trainer James Fanshawe has reported Arctic Owl none the worse for his disappointing return to action after a lay-off through injury of 444 days in a novice hurdle at Doncaster on Friday.The 2000 Irish St Leger winner was having his first race over jumps and after racing prominently faded into fourth place, beaten over 20 lengths behind the winner Dramatic Quest.Speaking at Cheltenham races Fanshawe said: 'He seems fine. He`s been working with Eternal Spring who finished second in the first at Cheltenham so I think the ground at Doncaster really caught him out.'We`ll have to wait for some better ground in the future but that was his first race since being injured in the Melbourne Cup and he just got very tired.'We were probably on a hiding to nothing running him on that ground and as far as the Champion Hurdle is concerned everything has got to go perfectly and so far it hasn`t.'
