Lisnagar Oscar on course for Cheltenham after encouraging Cleeve effort

Molly Hunter
February 3, 2022 10:57 am

Rebecca Curtis will have another crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Lisnagar Oscar will head straight to the Cheltenham Festival for the Stayers’ Hurdle after finishing third in the Cleeve Hurdle at the weekend.

The nine-year-old was a shock 50-1 victor in the staying division at the Festival in 2020 but has failed to win a race since, enjoying no luck in his first three starts this term, including when pulled up in the Long Walk at Ascot.

A return to Prestbury Park seemed to reignite his old zest, however, as the gelding travelled and jumped well under Adam Wedge and eventually came home third behind Paisley Park and Champ.

The big meeting in March is now on the horizon once again for the bay, who will head directly to the Stayers’ Hurdle after pleasing Curtis with a run that mirrored his third-placed performance in the Cleeve in 2020.

“He’s come out of the race very well, we were really pleased with his run,” she said.

“It was a massive step forwards, he always seems to come to hand at this time of year and he loves Cheltenham.

Lisnagar Oscar winning the 2020 Stayers' Hurdle — Lisnagar Oscar winning the 2020 Stayers’ Hurdle (Tim Goode/PA)

“He ran a similar sort of race to his run in the Cleeve in 2020 and he put in a good effort in that, so hopefully that will have put him spot on for the Stayers’ and we’ll have another shot at that.

“It wouldn’t have been ideal that he had to do all the donkey work, but he’ll have a lead in March. Adam did also say that the ground was a little bit sticky for him and he’d have liked a bit of rain, but we were really pleased with him.

“You had Paisley Park, who has obviously won the Stayers’ and then Champ, who was the favourite going into it, probably two of the best stayers in Britain were in it, so it was a good race.”

Curtis has another Festival hope in the shape of Pats Fancy, who has an entry for the National Hunt Chase after winning two of his three starts over fences.

His most recent victory was an 11-length success over Imperial Alcazar in a novice event at Chepstow, form that now looks particularly smart as the latter horse was a 10-length winner of a novice handicap at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Pats Fancy at Chepstow (David Davies/PA)

Pats Fancy was due to have his final pre-Cheltenham outing at Exeter on Wednesday afternoon but may now reroute to Newbury on Friday week after losing a shoe on the morning of the Exeter race.

“He’s pulled a shoe off, we’ve had the farrier here and he’s had it back on but he’s a little bit sore.

“I’ll hopefully run him next week somewhere, he’ll possibly go to Newbury.”