Corbetts Cross 'none the worse physically' for nasty Fairyhouse incident but won't run again before festival

Corbetts Cross, 7-1 second favourite for the National Hunt Chase, won't have another outing before the Cheltenham Festival with Emmet Mullins in no hurry to do anything with the JP McManus-owned seven-year-old following his nasty spill at Fairyhouse on Wednesday. 

The 3m rated chase was supposed to be the perfect festival prep for Corbetts Cross and he was sent off the 1-4 favourite to take care of his three rivals, but he bumped with the wayward Run Wild Fred at the third-last and came down. 

The good news is that the promising chaser seems fine physically following the incident, but Mullins said he won't be looking for another outing for him in the short term. 

Mullins said: "He seems none the worse physically after the incident, but we'll bide our time with him and give him a chance to recover from an experience like that.

"We won't be rushing him, that's for sure, and there'll be no buttons pressed for a while."

Derek O'Connor was an eyecatching jockey booking at Fairyhouse, suggesting the National Hunt Chase for amateur riders was the plan next month, but Corbetts Cross is also as short as 8-1 with William Hill for the Brown Advisory now that ante-post favourite Grangeclare West has been ruled out.

Emmet Mullins: "I've never had any problems with his jumping"Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Mullins said no decision on his target will be made until nearer the time and his primary focus is the wellbeing of the horse.

The trainer said: "No decisions will be made about anything for a while. We'll see how he is in a couple of weeks. We'll take our time and let him come along."

When asked about Corbetts Cross's jumping, Mullins replied: "I've never had any problems with his jumping."

Corbetts Cross beat Arkle fancy Found A Fifty in a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Naas last season before being sent off 9-4 favourite for the Albert Bartlett. He was bang in contention coming to the last there but ran out through the wing. 

His transition to fences has been reasonably smooth, but he was beaten by Grangeclare West twice either side of a smart beginners' chase success at Fairyhouse, where he quickened smartly to beat Three Card Brag and leading festival fancies Monty's Star and Nick Rockett.

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