Marine Nationale may be kept fresh until March

Barry Connell weighing up best way to get to Cheltenham.

Royal Bond winner Marine Nationale may not run again until the Cheltenham Festival, his trainer and owner Barry Connell has revealed.

A dual bumper winner before making a successful debut over hurdles at Punchestown in October, the five-year-old extended his unbeaten record to four with a battling victory at Fairyhouse on Sunday – providing Connell with a first Grade One success taking out his training licence two years ago.

Connell has enjoyed Cheltenham glory in the past, both as an owner and a jockey, and views Marine Nationale as an ideal candidate for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, for which he is an 8-1 shot with the sponsors.

He holds a more immediate entry in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown on December 27, and has the option of running at the Dublin Racing Festival in February, but Connell is currently favouring keeping his powder dry for the Festival curtain-raiser in March.

He said: “He’s come out of the race 100 per cent thankfully. I’m very happy with him.

“The soft ground wasn’t ideal for him on Sunday and I think if he’d put in a proper jump at the last he would have won snugly. At the same time it was good to see him make a mistake and still win – it was a good performance.

“There’s a possibility that we could go straight to Cheltenham, I’d say. He runs well fresh and has been on the go all summer, so I’d say we’re probably leaning more towards going straight to Cheltenham.

“He’s got his Grade One and has plenty of experience now, so that is the most likely plan at present anyway.”

Barry Connell in the Fairyhouse winner's enclosure
Barry Connell in the Fairyhouse winner’s enclosure (Brian Lawless/PA)

Connell has suggested Marine Nationale could eventually be campaigned on the Flat, with a trip to Royal Ascot even mooted.

For now, though, the County Kildare handler’s priority is very much on the jumping game.

He added: “I just mentioned it (Royal Ascot) because of the speed he has – I think he could make a nice Flat horse in due course.

“But it’s not in the plans in the near future. The main job is heading for the Supreme now.”

Michael O'Sullivan with Marine Nationale
Michael O’Sullivan with Marine Nationale (Brian Lawless/PA)

Despite still being a claiming jockey, Michael O’Sullivan has been ever-present in the saddle aboard Marine Nationale thus far and Connell was thrilled to give his retained rider his first Grade One win.

He said: “He did a great job. He knows the horse very well, he’s won all four races on him now and he’s a big part of the team.

“He’ll continue to ride all of our horses going forward. He rode a winner at the November meeting in Cheltenham and has some experience round there, so he’ll be ready to go over there in March.”

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