Corkery considering spring options for Master McShee

Keith Hamer
February 7, 2022 1:38 pm

Trainer delighted by Leopardstown second.

One-horse trainer Paddy Corkery is eyeing the big spring festivals for Master McShee after his eight-year-old backed up a Grade One success on his previous start with an excellent run behind Galopin Des Champs at Leopardstown.

The County Waterford handler has the choice of Fairyhouse and Punchestown on home soil and the possibility of Aintree across the Irish Sea for his talented gelding, who showed his Limerick triumph on Boxing Day was no fluke when he beat all except Willie Mullins’ highly-exciting prospect in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase.

“I suppose for a trainer like me to get a Grade One winner and to have the horse ready again was a nice achievement for me. I was delighted with that,” said Corkery.

“He’s in great form. He travelled well and he ate up most of his feed last night. I’ll just have to make a plan where I go next.

“For the moment we possibly will stick at running in Grade Ones. I wouldn’t rule out Aintree if I thought I could work it in. Now, it’s probably Fairyhouse or Punchestown, but if I thought there was something at Aintree that suited him we might go there. I think the track at Aintree would definitely suit him and I can go anywhere with him now.”

Corkery feels Master McShee is proving versatile in terms of trip, but is likely to stick with a similar distance to Sunday’s race, which was run over an extended two miles and five furlongs.

“At this stage he’s a very versatile horse. He’s won at two miles, which is a great thing, he’s won at two-miles-three and he’s put up a sterling performance at two-five,” Corkery added.

“At this point in time I don’t have to look at going up. It wouldn’t worry me if we did go up in trip and my gut feeling is he’d be a better horse on nicer ground.”