Tough Irish test for Just Cameron

Sixth to the scintillating Sprinter Sacre in last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, Hammond’s stable star still holds an entry in jump racing’s most coveted two-mile steeplechase.

Just Cameron is no stranger to the Emerald Isle – he put up a career-best performance when finishing a clear second to Un De Sceaux in the Ryanair Novice Chase at the 2015 Punchestown Festival when ridden by Joe Colliver and has been campaigned at a high level during the subsequent two years.

The 10-year-old was well beaten on his seasonal reappearance in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham in November, but was third in Wetherby’s Castleford Chase at the Christmas meeting before returning to winning ways at the West Yorkshire month track last month when partnered by Henry Brooke.

However Sunday’s valuable Grade Three chase at Naas has only attracted eight entries, including Gordon Elliott’s highly regarded pair of Ball D’arc and Clarcam who both ran last weekend.

Possible rivals include the consistent Pairofbrowneyes, now trained by former North Yorkshire handler Ferdy Murphy’s son Barry.

Hammond confirmed to The Yorkshire Post that owner Paul Chapman will decide whether Brooke or Colliver makes the trip to Ireland.

“He ran well in the Castleford and stepped up on that to win a nice prize back at Wetherby,” said the Middleham trainer.

“He’s been mixing it with some of the best for the last couple of years and finishing fifth or sixth, so it was nice to see him get his head in front again.

“He came out of Wetherby in good form. The plan is to run in Ireland at the weekend and we’re expecting a big run.”

Asked about Cheltenham, Hammond added: “Let’s take one race at a time and see how we get on this weekend.”

Nicky Richards still has one eye on the JT McNamara National Hunt Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for Baywing.

Winner of the Towton Novices’ Chase at Wetherby on just his second start over fences, the eight-year-old was a surprise 33-1 winner of the Grade Two.

However connections have shied away from a tilt at Newcastle’s four mile Eider Chase on Saturday.

“We’ll have a look what the going might be like at Cheltenham and he could run in the four-miler, but in the back of my mind I think he could be a better horse than that long term,” said the Cumbrian trainer.

“If the ground is too quick there then he’ll go to Uttoxeter the Saturday after, not for the Midlands National but for a novice chase worth £30,000.”

Nicky Henderson hopes a confidence-boosting win at Doncaster will be the making of Might Bite who remains on course for Cheltenham’s RSA Chase, the three-mile Grade One race for novices.

Fearful that a frightening final fence fall at Kempton on Boxing Day may have left its mark on the horse which had the Grade One Kauto Star Novices Chase at its mercy, the trainer is quietly confident.

He said: “It was horrible at Kempton. If it wasn’t for that you would be very confident, but he had a nice time at Doncaster the other day and is in good form. Somebody said the other day, ‘Are you happy with him going around an undulating track as he has only been on flat tracks?’.

“Lots of horses have gone to Cheltenham that have not been on undulating tracks. I can’t believe that is a worry. His jumping has been good. At Kempton, it was going to be a staggering performance and sadly it ended in catastrophe. Up until then it was a stunning performance. We had to find a soft race to get his confidence back up again.”

Former Grand National runner-up Saint Are completed his preparations for this year’s Aintree race with an eyecatching second at Doncaster yesterday.

Runner up to Many Clouds in 2015, the horse was only narrowly beaten in the veterans’ chase on Town Moor by Killala Quay who does not hold a National entry.

Victory in the world’s greatest steeplechase for Saint Are would complete a memorable campaign for trainer Tom George since appointing Ireland’s Adrian Heskin as stable jockey last summer.

Heskin and George teamed up to land the concluding Bumper with Black Op.

Tom Scudamore has spoken of his dismay after King George winner Thistlecrack was ruled out of next month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

“It’s something that happens in racing unfortunately, look at Willie Mullins this season, he’s lost a handful. Even still, it doesn’t make it easy to swallow, it makes you feel sick,” he said.

“It’s worse for the owners, John and Heather (Snook), and the lads that see him every morning. With good horses you want them to peak on the big days and that’s Cheltenham, fortunately we won there last year and the King George this season. Look at Olympians, they get their dreams shattered and have to wait four years, hopefully we’ll get another chance next season.”