Aintree consolation on Dysart Enos agenda

Molly Hunter
March 21, 2024 5:19 pm

Late Cheltenham absentee handed Top Novices’ target.

Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos is on track to shine at Aintree after a late setback scuppered her Cheltenham Festival hopes.

The six-year-old has a flawless record under rules and capped last season with Grade Two success in a highly competitive renewal of the Nickel Coin bumper at Aintree when beating Jeremy Scott’s Golden Ace.

Her hurdles career has been equally prolific and in three starts over obstacles she has been a straightforward winner every time, making her a real prospect for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.

An overreach injury prevented her from lining up at the meeting in a totally luckless week for the O’Brien stable, who lost Highland Hunter and were disappointed to see the well-fancied Crambo underperform in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

Dysart Enos’ setback was a minor one, however, and she is now on track to return at Grade One level in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree next month.

Dysart Enos ahead of the Cheltenham Festival (Adam Davy/PA)

“She’s back riding out and she’s got her shoe back on, it was just an overreach the day before the Festival at the bottom of the gallops,” said O’Brien.

“It was nothing major, but it was enough to stop her as she was lame on the bulb of her heel, hopefully now we can roll on to Aintree.

“I do try to be philosophical about these things, as disappointed as I was, it was hard telling Paddy (Brennan) and the owners but sometimes these things happen for a reason and you have to tell yourself that.”

Golden Ace was the winner of the race in the absence of Dysart Enos, a boost to their Aintree bumper form and no surprise to O’Brien as he already held that mare in high regard.

“I did a few previews before Cheltenham and I said I thought Jeremy Scott’s horse would not be far away, I loved her two runs at Taunton and the fact that she didn’t have a penalty like us, she ticked a lot of boxes,” he said.

Crambo (right) defeating Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)

“It’s the two-mile Grade One we’re going for (at Aintree) and I think that’s where Jeremy’s going with his too, so we’ll get our chance again.”

Crambo will also be given another shot at Aintree as he is headed for the Liverpool Hurdle in a bid to return to the form he showed earlier in the season.

“Crambo will go to Aintree, we couldn’t really make head nor tail of his disappointing run,” O’Brien.

“With the disappointment of Dysart Enos not getting there because she was lame in the morning and Crambo running a bit flat, it wasn’t our finest week.

“Johnny Burke looked after him and he’s won over two and a half (miles) round Aintree, so hopefully with the sun on his back he’ll run more respectably than he did at Cheltenham.”