IT’S A REAL shame that racing has been shut down in Britain due to the outbreak of equine flu and hopefully it won’t be long before everything is back to normal. It’s very unfortunate for trainers trying to get horses ready for Cheltenham and the fixture that was supposed to be on at Newbury on Saturday, is a very important one with a view to the big spring festivals.

Looking back at the Dublin Racing Festival, we were very happy to leave with a winner courtesy of Whisperinthebreeze, who credited Paddy Kennedy with his biggest success to date, with victory in the handicap chase on Sunday. He jumped super and he never put a foot wrong and he has bounced out of that race in great form and the plan is that he’ll now go for the four-mile National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham.

Supasundae never runs a bad race and he ran creditably, when second behind the brilliant Apples Jade in the Champion Hurdle. He will come on again for that and we’ll decide a bit closer to the time as to what race he’ll go for at Cheltenham.

We were thrilled with Jezki, when he got touched off in the big two-mile handicap hurdle and we’ll see what Frank Berry and JP (McManus) want to do with him. Daragh O’Keeffe gave the horse a great ride and he has just been a wonderful horse for us and you wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he’s 11 now. I am sure that we’ll find something suitable for him in the spring and he loved the good ground at the weekend.

We had just the one runner during the week and it was great for (owner) Joe O’Flaherty that Polished Steel gained a deserved success in the maiden hurdle at Thurles. Hopefully he can build on that – he has been running well without winning and that victory will do his confidence the power of good.

I am hoping to get Sizing John away this weekend. He looks great and I’ve been very happy with him. I have no plans made for him and I am just anxious to get him away, so we’ll see what way the weather goes and I’ll have an update on him next week.

Naas – Saturday

1.10

Emily Moon (Robert Power)

She ran a good race the last day at Navan – she just ran a little bit keen, so we’ll drop her back to two miles and I think that will help her. It was raining on Friday, so the more rain that falls for her the better. She jumps great and I expect her to run very well. Debuchet was a very smart bumper horse and he sets the standard here. He is rated 135 and if he runs to that mark, he could be hard to beat, but I’ve been happy with our filly and she’ll be ridden handily.

3.10

Close Shave (Barry Geraghty)

He has been a bit disappointing and didn’t seem to appreciate going back over hurdles the last day at Cork, but we schooled him on Friday morning over fences and that went well, so we’ll let him take his chance and see how he gets on.

4.10

Jungle Junction (Daragh O’Keefe)

He is a really nice horse by Elusive Pimpernel and his work at home has been good and we think he’ll run a big race. Daragh rides well and is very good value for his 7lb claim. Front View was sent off favourite at Gowran and he bumped into a smart horse that day, when second to Blue Sari and he along with Zambezir, bring solid placed form to the race. That experience will be a big advantage as most of the field are debutants.

My full reaction to the recent Equine Influenza outbreak via @UnibetRacing #ad https://t.co/im3zBgaDq1

— Nicky Henderson (@sevenbarrows) February 7, 2019

Punchestown – Sunday

1.45

A Sizing Network (Robert Power)

He lost his way a bit during the summer and we had his back operated on for kissing spines and that seems to have helped him. Robert had him at his place for a couple of weeks, getting a lot schooling into him and he followed around a few of Peter Maher’s at Punchestown earlier this week – I’d like to thank Peter for that. Our horse will improve a good bit for this, as it will be his first run for 140 days and the main him for him, is the cross-country chase at Cheltenham.

2.50

Discordantly (Robert Power)

He brings a good level of form into this race and he’s a horse that we’ve always liked. He has posted two very solid efforts over hurdles this season and the horse that beat him (Moratorium) won again on Thursday and the more rain that falls, the better for him. Typical of any maiden hurdle run over here at the minute, there are plenty of good horses in the line-up, but I’m hopeful that our horse will go very close.

3.20

Whydah (Robert Power)

He is improving and he ran a solid race in a maiden hurdle the last day at Fairyhouse and he gets in to his first handicap off 99, which I think is fair. I think the step up in trip to three miles will suit him and I think he has a chance of getting into the money. Again, the more rain that falls for him, the better.

3.50

Impact Factor (Robert Power)

He is well suited by the race conditions and he has been running well without winning so hopefully he’ll gain a deserved success over the larger obstacles here. The form of his run at Gowran was boosted by Ex-Patriot – he finished fourth that day – and he who won at Thurles during the week. He is a very solid jumper and the small field will suit him. He is the highest rated runner in the race and the more rain that falls, the better for him. Hopefully he’ll get his head in front over fences.

4.50

Robin Des Sivola (Finny Maguire)

She is a lovely filly that we bought at Tattersalls last year after she won her point to point. She has pleased us at home and she gets the mares allowance here. I think she is capable of getting

competitive in a bumper and I’d like to think that she has frame claims in this. There are good few in the race that have solid placed form, and whatever out filly does, she will improve for it.