Uimhiraceathair: misses the RSA Chase after meeting with setback

  PICTURE: Caroline Norris  

Citizen Vic could replace Uimhiraceathair in RSA

UIMHIRACEATHAIR, as short as 10-1 for the RSA Chase with Blue Square, has met with a setback and will miss Wednesday's race.

However he could be replaced at the festival by stablemate Citizen Vic, winner of the Grade 1 Dr P.J. Moriarty Novices' Chase at Leopardstown last month, who had originally been expected to bypass the meeting.

Mullins said: "With Uimhiraceathair lame and out of the RSA Chase we are now considering running Citizen Vic in the race. We were going to wait and run him in the Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse next month, but I willdiscuss the situation with his owner and a decision will be made in the next day or two. There is every chance of a change of plan.

"He is a Grade 1 winner over two miles and five furlongs and when he won again over a shorter trip at Leopardstown last time, he settled well and if he does that again then it should help him over the RSA trip."

Uimhiraceathair has won both of his races over fences. After a six length winner over 2m4f on his chasing debut at Gowran Park in January, he went on to dead-heat with Telenor in the Grade 2 Ten Up Novice Chase over 3m at Navan last month.

Mullins had been expecting the eight-year-old to improve from the Navan race and to relish the better ground at Cheltenham.

He was the most notable horse missing from the list of 17 remaining at Thursday's forfeit stage.

They were headed by the Nicky Henderson-trained pair Long Run and Punchestowns, while Paul Nicholls has left in Pendil Novices' Chase winner The Nightingale.

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