'He's the best horse we have' - the Crawford star who could face Journey With Me

Stuart Crawford has hailed O'Toole the best horse in his yard and he could take on big Ballymore fancy Journey With Me at Naas on Saturday, but the Larne-based trainer is adamant we won't see the best of him until he tackles fences.

The Connolly's Red Mills Irish EBF Auction Novice Hurdle (3.25) was won by subsequent Ballymore winner City Island in 2019, and it could once again have a major bearing on the festival Grade 1 in 2022.

Crawford, who sent out Lily Du Berlais to land the Grade 2 mares' bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival at 40-1, is excited about O'Toole's future and it is easy to understand why.

The six-year-old has won two of his three starts, and his sole defeat came when splitting Kilcruit and Sir Gerhard in a Grade 1 bumper at the Punchestown festival last year. That form looks pretty decent now.

Crawford said: "He would be the best horse we have, but it's a long-term thing, and he has a long way to go before he is the finished article. He's a big, relaxed, easy-going type and the hope would be that he might be a top-notch chaser down the line. That's what I think anyway.

"The plan all along was to go to Naas on Saturday, but we also have the option of waiting a week for a race at Haydock. Maybe we should have been dipping our toes in deeper waters before now, but it would be unnatural for him to be fired up for a big hurdle race at this stage of his career and given how relaxed and laid-back he is. He definitely won't be going to Cheltenham this year, it's all about the future with him."

Lily Du Berlais: Aintree is the plan for Crawford's Dublin Racing Festival bumper winnerCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Crawford also issued an update on Lily Du Berlais, who came out on top in the closest finish of the whole weekend at Leopardstown, with Aintree now on her agenda.

The trainer said: "Lily Du Berlais is a smashing mare and has come out of her win at Leopardstown in really good form. The plan is for her to go to Aintree next for the mares' bumper at the Grand National meeting. She showed a really tough attitude in the finish at Leopardstown and is a big, rangy type of mare who should have a really nice future when she goes jumping."

Stuart Crawford details

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