Sparrow can fly to Mares’ triumph

Even though the five-year-old dual purpose mare fell when she took on the unbeaten Annie Power, a leading Ladbrokes World Hurdle contender, at Doncaster at the end of January, Quinn reports his horse to be none the worse for the experience ahead off Tuesday’s OLBG Mares’ Hurdle.

And although Cockney Sparrow will be stepping up in trip to two-and-a-half miles for the first time, she has the scope to, at least, test the Willie Mullins-trained Quevega, who has not raced since last April’s Punchestown Festival.

She was one of Flat riding sensation Oisin Murphy’s four winners on Ayr Gold Cup day before delighting connections on Charlie Hall Chase day at Wetherby with her victory in the OLBG.com Mares’ Hurdle under Dougie Costello.

Quinn then ran his stable star in Newcastle’s Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle – she was a creditable second to Champion Hurdle hope My Tent Or Yours – before the Doncaster race.

“She’s trained well since Doncaster and had a few nice schools,” said Quinn yesterday. “If she stays, and I think she will, I expect her to run a big race.”

Quevega is Mullins’s main hope in the race – victory would see her beat Golden Miller’s record of five successive Gold Cup wins in the 1930s – but he also fields a fine second string in Glens Melody, a Grade One winner at Punchestown last term and successful in Listed contests at Warwick on her last two outings.

With Ruby Walsh on Quevega, Glens Melody will be ridden by Paul Townend.

Donald McCain’s Whiteoak claimed the inaugural contest in 2008 and the trainer will bid for another success with Doyly Carte this time.

The six-year-old finished second to Annie Power at Doncaster but slightly disappointed when only fourth in the Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso.

As for the Stan James Champion Hurdle, champion trainer Nicky Henderson reports the aforementioned My Tent Or Yours to be sound again following a minor injury scare on Tuesday when he was found to have sustained a small puncture wound to the sole of one of his feet.

“He was happy on his foot and he will be going for a swim,” said Henderson. “He was virtually sound on it yesterday, to be honest, but a bit cautious on his foot. Today he is happy back jogging on it and whatever else.

“One is never out of the woods with these things, so we’re just going to give him a swim today and then the plan would be a canter. He does enjoy swimming and it can freshen them up a bit.”

My Tent Or Yours will face a maximum of 11 rivals, including reigning champion Hurricane Fly, in Tuesday’s race after the JP McManus-owned Captain Cee Bee was added to the field.

n Ante-post favourites Champagne Fever and Rock On Ruby are among 18 horses left in the Racing Post Arkle at Cheltenham on Tuesday following the latest forfeit stage .

The Willie Mullins-trained Champagne Fever has been successful at the showpiece meeting for the last two years, in the Champion Bumper and the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and while he has only had two runs over fences he impressed in a schooling session after racing at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Harry Fry’s Rock On Ruby is also no stranger to Cheltenham, famously lifting the Champion Hurdle in 2012 when officially trained by Paul Nicholls and finding only Hurricane Fly too good last year.

The only worry is his relative inexperience over fences. Though he has won at both Plumpton and Doncaster, Rock On Ruby actually only beat three horses in the process – these small-field races are the polar opposite of Cheltenham’s hurly-burly.

n Trainer Philip Fenton will be allowed to have runners, including leading Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup hope Last Instalment, at the Cheltenham Festival next week, the British Horseracing Authority has announced.

Fenton is facing a number of charges in Ireland in relation to possessing unlicensed substances, including anabolic steroids, following a visit by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in January 2012, with his case adjourned until March 20, the week after the Festival.

Following consultation with the Irish Turf Club, BHA officials visited Fenton’s yard last Wednesday, with samples from his horses collected and fast-tracked for testing at HFL Sport Science, Newmarket.

The BHA also interviewed the Carrick-on-Suir handler, and said its investigation “found no evidence that Fenton’s Cheltenham-entered horses have been administered with anabolic steroids”.