Josies Orders set for Punchestown after Cheltenham hitch

Josies Orders is set to tackle the Risk Of Thunder Chase at Punchestown on Saturday following the loss of the cross-country contest at Cheltenham last weekend.

Trainer Enda Bolger had intended to run last season's Cheltenham Festival winner – who was awarded the Glenfarclas Chase following the subsequent disqualification of Any Currency – at the Open meeting, but a lack of rain on the cross-country course forced the abandonment of his target.

Bolger said: "It hasn’t scuppered our plans with our cross-country team. We have Cantlow, Quantitativeeasing and Josies Orders to lead the way over the banks and I'm looking at starting off Josies Orders in the Risk Of Thunder Chase at Punchestown now.”

Risk Of Thunder entries

On the abandonment of the Cheltenham race, he added: "I've no doubt the best call was made. The clerk of the course [Simon Claisse] had been in touch with me for the past two weeks about the ground and I feel it was far better for him to have been in touch early as it saved us travelling over with our horses and having to come home if the decision was left to the last minute.

Bolger's On The Fringe has built up a formidable partnership with Nina Carberry over the past few seasons, completing back-to-back victories in the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham as well as big wins at the Punchestown and Aintree festivals. With Carberry sitting the rest of the season out to give birth to her first child, Bolger revealed that Jamie Codd is the likely deputy.

He said: "On The Fringe is in great form and we're going to try to repeat the trick with him this season and aim him at Cheltenham, Aintree and Punchestown again. Jamie Codd has won on him at Aintree before and he looks the obvious replacement for Nina.”

Eddie Harty has the Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse on December 4 in mind for the exciting Coney Island but hopes to run the five-year-old ahead of that early season target.

Last seen when finishing just half a length behind Bellshill in a Grade 1 Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown festival, the JP McManus-owned son of Flemensfirth should be seen in public within the next week to ten days.

Harty said: “I'd imagine we'll get a run into him before the Drinmore, but where we run him I’m not sure. He's in great form and we're just waiting for a bit of ease in the ground. As soon as conditions are right, he’ll be out."