The field for the 2019 St James’ Place Foxhunters moved a step closer to being finalised with the publication of the five-day entries on Saturday, with the field having been whittled down to 26.
This season’s leading point-to-pointer, Kruzhlinin, is the only horse that had featured prominently in the ante-post market for next Friday’s big race to have been scratched, however his defection will not come as a surprise with his connections stating their intentions to send the former Grade 3 winner over the Grand National fences next month, for a crack at the Aintree equivalent.
In total, three of the horses that did not go forward at the five-day stage were Irish runners, with Gearoid O’Loughlin’s Clonmel Hunter Chase winner Sidetracked, and the Alan Fleming-trained Gwencily Berbas, a horse that had failed to meet the Cheltenham race eligibility, were the other defectors.
They join British horses Irish Anthem, Mr Mecurial, Mr Mix, Path To Freedom, Stellar Notion and Woodfleet, as absentees from the 26, which has been reduced from the original 36 entries.
The ante-post market continues to be headed by Enda Bolger’s Down Royal winner Stand Up And Fight, who had his colours lowered by Saturday’s Tetretema Cup winner Fenno’s Storm more recently at Kilfeacle, whilst Ucello Conti is close behind him at 5/1 as the two leading Irish challengers, in a market which outside of that Irish pair, is dominated by British runners.
The home team’s leading hopes look to rest with the recent 11-length Warwick victor Hazell Hill at 11/2, whilst Walrus winner Road To Rome is a 6/1 shot.
The remaining Irish entries are the Graham McKeever-pair of Balnaslow and Chosen Dream, Navan runner-up Coastal Tiep, Saturday’s Tetretema-fourth Macs Legend, last month’s Punchestown-second Samanntom, four-time open winner Some Are Lucky, and Champion Hunter Chase-second Timewaitsfornoone.
