Trainer pondering Irish National tilt after 125-1 shot's runner-up effort behind Caldwell Potter at Cheltenham

Ken Budds has one eye on the Irish National for Anyway, who provided the County Cork trainer with a huge thrill with his first Cheltenham Festival runner last week when he belied his 125-1 starting price to finish second in the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap Chase.

Many will remember the seven-year-old as the subject of a successful gamble at Downpatrick in August 2023 when he was backed from 28-1 into even-money favourite, and he has continued in fine form since, scoring twice more over hurdles and shaping well in some strong beginners' chases.

Those efforts gave him a stiff-looking opening mark of 139 for his festival assignment, but Darragh O'Keeffe always had him placed prominently and he finished six and a half lengths behind Caldwell Potter.

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Budds said: "It was a cracking run from Anyway and I'd say he just ran into a very good horse in Caldwell Potter. We were expecting it. It might sound mad given the price he was, but his runs were very good. He'd been running against good horses and I thought his mark of 139 might be a little too high, but it wasn't as it turned out.

"He'd been working and schooling great. It was a great effort. I'll have to wait and speak to connections to see where we go next, but I think you could aim him at a National – he could be an Irish National horse if the ground was right.

"All he does is stay and gallop – he's tough and just keeps at it. We haven't tried him over three miles yet, but he won over two miles and six furlongs at Killarney."

Caldwell Potter (left) beats Anyway (yellow cap) to win the Jack Richards Novices' Handicap ChaseCredit: Harry Murphy (Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Three-time champion jockey Davy Russell is a lifelong friend of Budds, and was on hand to ride out Anyway in the mornings at Cheltenham.

"It was my first runner at the festival and he's the best we've had," the trainer said. "We were thrilled and it was a great experience. To get there is an achievement, and then to run well is a big bonus.

"Davy got the owners to buy him – he's friends with Kenny [Haughey, joint-owner with Kieran Byrne]. There was a girl travelling over with the horse and she's a great rider, but Davy decided to ride Anyway himself one morning. Then when it was going so well and the horse was in such good form there was no point in changing it."

This jumps season has been a successful one for the dual-purpose handler, who has equalled his best total from 2021-22 with six winners.

"It's been going well," he added. "We have low-grade handicappers who are doing their job and Stormalong is a good mare who has been running well in Graded races.

"Anyway is our flagship horse, and Stormalong would be the only one who would give him a piece of work. You think you'd have an okay one [for Anyway to work with], but he would go up alongside and make them look average."

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