O’Sullivan has ground worries ahead of It Came To Pass prep

Hunter chase champ set for Thurles spin.

It Came To Pass is set to warm up for the defence of his Cheltenham Festival crown with a first outing in over three months in the first race at Thurles on Thursday.

Almost 30 years on from the success of Lovely Citizen in the same race in 1991, It Came To Pass provided trainer Eugene O’Sullivan with his second win in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase in March, with his daughter Maxine in the saddle.

The 11-year-old has run just once since – finishing fourth at Fairyhouse in November – and O’Sullivan admits the prospect of testing conditions for his comeback are a cause for his concern, with his Festival assignment just over three weeks away.

He said: “He’s in right order, but unfortunately the ground has been horrendous and it looks like it will be horrendous tomorrow as well.

“I’ve said all year that I wouldn’t run him on bad ground, but I just feel he needs a run.

“I’m going against my word by running him, but he is very fresh and needs to do something, even though he’s not at his best on that ground.

“The ground will be against him, but if it wasn’t tomorrow (for a prep run) it was never and Maxine will mind him”

Connections were presented with another headache on the eve of their stable star’s return following confirmation amateurs will not be permitted to ride at this year’s Festival.

Celebrations for Maxine O'Sullivan at Cheltenham
Celebrations for Maxine O’Sullivan at Cheltenham (Simon Cooper/PA)

O’Sullivan senior has raised the possibility of daughter Maxine turning professional to ensure she can take the ride in the Cotswolds, but all discussions are on hold until after It Came To Pass makes his return.

He added: “That news hit us like a ton of bricks today. I really was hoping that ruling would change nearer the time.

“It definitely has us thinking and what’s happening is we will wait until after Thurles to make a decision.

“Maxine was contemplating turning (professional), but there’s pros and cons to that and there needs to be a lot more thinking done about that than just deciding on the spur of the moment.”

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