Ryanair Chase Joncol looking good?

Joncol and Schindler’s Hunt did their Ryanair Chase chances no harm at all in the Irish Hennessy but just a word of warning though if you think that Joncol’s class and progression can see him through and win a third Grade 1 of the season, his trainer stated afterwards that he is only 50-50 to run here as they have the Guinness Gold Cup at Punchestown also on his agenda.

A giant of a horse standing over 18 hands tall that bypassed hurdling altogether, he did well to win having running down the final fence and can develop into a live Gold Cup hope for 2011 but, recognising this is a year too soon, connections took away any temptation by not even entering so it’s the Ryanair or nothing as far as this season’s Festival is concerned.

What Schindlers Hunts wants is 2m5f on decent ground so his third behind Joncol in the Irish Hennessy, where he looked the most likely winner at the final fence until his stamina gave way over three miles on testing ground, was a screamer of a run where he didn’t help himself again with a last-fence mistake.

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The only time he has had his ground this season was at Ascot in November when he was a disappointing fourth behind Albertas Run but the trip of 2m3f would have been short enough for him.

Beaten in his last 12 attempts in Grade 1 company, and no spring chicken with 25 chase starts on the board, although he could conceivably place again, it is hard seeing him going all the way.

Looking at collateral formlines, Kalahari King’s win at Doncaster can be viewed as a positive for Planet Of Sound as he only finished a place behind in last season’s Arkle despite a series of mistakes, notably at the first fence which shuffled him back to rear from the start.