Triumph Hurdle: Flame fired up for Festival

The Cheltenham Festival / Timeform / 14 February 2012 / Leave a Comment

Countrywide Flame could run in the Triumph Hurdle.

"I'm going to enter him in the Fred Winter but he'll more than likely be just about top weight in that so he'll probably run in the Triumph..."

John Quinn is leaning towards running Countrywide Flame in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival...

The four-year-old, rated 133 by Timeform, finished third in a Grade One at Leopardstown on Sunday and was second to Hollow Tree in the Finale Hurdle at Chepstow.

Given his form at the highest level, Countrywide Flame is likely to be near enough top weight for the Fred Winter Handicap Hurdle, which could force Quinn to run him in the Triumph on March 16.

"He's come back fine. It will be straight to Cheltenham for him now," said the Malton-based handler.

"I'm going to enter him in the Fred Winter but he'll more than likely be just about top weight in that so he'll probably run in the Triumph.

"He was a bit gawky at the first couple of hurdles on Sunday, which is unlike him.

"I'm not saying he'd have won, but he threw at least a length away at the first and second hurdles and you can't do that in Grade Ones.

"The weather hadn't helped - we'd not been able to do any schooling with him beforehand.

"He's tough as teak and is as genuine as they come. He was one of the first off the bridle but was really coming back at the end.

"If they were to go a suicidal gallop in the Triumph he would be staying on better than anything up the hill - you never know what might happen."

Countrywide Flame is currently available to back at [44.0] for the Triumph Hurdle and [27.0] for the Fred Winter.