Time To Disengage
By Gallops Reporter. Last Updated: November 15, 2012 2:58pm
Fingal Bay: One of Friday's main attractions
With Cheltenham's Paddy Power meeting firmly in mind, our gallops reporter has news from two of the leading National Hunt yards.
West Country
FINGAL BAY is the big hope from Philip Hobbs' Sandhills base in Somerset and the former top novice hurdler will be one of the main attractions at Cheltenham on Friday.
The gelding looked in great shape traversing his trainer's steep woodchip facility and again when breezing this morning.
He made a satisfactory switch to fences at Chepstow and has been given plenty of time to recover from those exertions as he limbers up for Friday's opener at Cheltenham.
BALTHAZAR KING won cosily on his return to the track last month and should go well in the cross-country chase.
He has youth on his side and has always shown connections that agility is his strong suit.
He also moved powerfully in his winding-up breeze this morning.
TRIGGERMAN has tested Hobbs' training skills and will return from an absence of well over 500 days in a handicap chase.
He's been going nicely without being asked any serious questions and could surprise a few people on his reappearance.
THE DISENGAGER has been a useful asset to the yard with three wins from his last four starts and is no forlorn hope in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.
The eight-year-old looked in good heart in his latest stretch up the strip and is as fit as a flea.
Lambourn
Nicky Henderson breezed his first day Open meeting runners at Seven Barrows, including the promising RIVER MAIGUE has schooled well and looks tuned up for his hurdling debut in the Grade Two race.
MOLOTOF does not go to Cheltenham but has taken well to fences at home and also looked very well in himself.
