Can Asterion Forlonge return to winning ways? Key quotes for Grade 1 event

5.00 Fairyhouse
Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase | 2m4f | Grade 1 | 5yo+ | RTE2/RTV

Willie Mullins has won the last two runnings of this and it is the unreliable Asterion Forlonge rather than the ultra-reliable Energumene who spearheads his challenge.

This was the scene for the first of Al Boum Photo's three Grade 1 wins. He was the Willie Mullins second string that day when seeing off Shattered Love, while Voix Du Reve led home a 1-2 for the stable the last time this race was run in 2019.

So, where do we stand with Asterion Forlonge? The giant grey looked to have the world at his feet when brushing aside Conflated on his chasing debut at Punchestown in November. So impressive there that he was 4-6 to win a Grade 1 next time at Limerick over Christmas.

After being flawless at the first ten fences there, he made a complete mess of five out and came down. That set the tone for what has turned out to be a frustrating season. He only got as far as the first against Envoi Allen and didn't really put up any sort of a fight against Monkfish at the Dublin Racing Festival.

There were far more encouraging signs in the Marsh Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, however. After Envoi Allen's shock early departure, Asterion Forlonge hit a low of 1.65 on the exchanges in-running when seemingly travelling best of all coming down the hill.

In the end he had to settle for third behind Chantry House, but he posted an RPR of 159 and a repeat of that might suffice here.

Indeed, he looks a much more potent horse going right-handed so it is no surprise to see him installed as favourite.

Andy Dufresne: main threat to Asterion ForlongeCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Andy Dufresne did finish a length ahead of Asterion Forlonge when the pair clashed in the Flogas Novice Chase in February. He swerved the festival for this and this and that could be a wise move.

His three career defeats have been to Latest Exhibition, Jason The Militant and Monkfish so he hasn't done a whole lot wrong. This will tell us where we stand with him while this quicker ground is a worry too.

Conflated was another to sidestep Cheltenham. He mopped up a Grade 3 at Naas a few days before the festival kicked off and couldn't have justified odds-on favouritism any easier. The concern with Conflated is that he looks better going left-handed. The counter argument to that is that he won his maiden hurdle around Fairyhouse.

Franco De Port is a Grade 1 winner and, although he didn't have the pace for the Arkle, this trip will surely see him more involved. Janidil is an unknown quantity, while so too is Cedarwood Road who has a very bright future ahead but a stern examination like this might come a little too early in his education.

If Asterion Forlonge is on his best behaviour and gets into a good rhythm, he could be hard to beat now that he goes back right-handed. That is a big 'if', though.

Local hope in the 'form of his life' says O'Loughlin

Trainer Gearoid O'Loughlin, who is based only a couple of miles away from Fairyhouse in the town on Dunshaughlin, is chasing the biggest win of his career and a first Grade 1 with Cedarwood Road.

O'Loughlin won the Ulster National at Downpatrick last year with Space Cadet and has always thought the world of Cedarwood Road who beat Beacon Edge and Entoucas when winning a Listed novice hurdle at Naas.

This is without doubt his toughest test so far but O'Loughlin reports his stable star to be in rude health.

He said: "It's a massive step up for him, but there's not too many other options for him. We could have waited for the novice handicap chase at Punchestown, but he's so well in himself that we said to ourselves why not have a go at this instead. I feel like he's in better form than he was at Gowran. He's in the form of his life actually."

What they say

Denise Foster, trainer of Andy Dufresne and Conflated
Andy Dufresne put up quite a solid performance against a very good horse in Monkfish and you'd like to think that with a similar sort of display here he would have a solid chance of being in the mix. Conflated was great at Naas and a couple of runs prior to that he looked very good when winning at Navan. On his day he's a very smart horse and this will tell us whether he needs to go left-handed or not. He's in great form at home.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Scarlet And Dove
She's very progressive and has done well for us this year. This looks a hot race, but it'd be great if she could run into the money and get some Grade 1 black type.

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