'We're leaning towards the Stayers' - Fahey confirms target for Royal Kahala

Peter Fahey will buck the trend of trainers playing it safe when it comes to placing their horses at Cheltenham after he confirmed Royal Kahala would be aimed at Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, rather than having a tilt at the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle on the opening day of the festival.

Fahey's star mare is a general 10-1 chance for the Stayers' and, despite being half those odds with some firms for the Mares' Hurdle, Fahey is siding towards championship level with his recent Galmoy Hurdle winner.

He said: "We're leaning towards running her in the Stayers'. If things changed and the ground went very slow we could revert back to the Mares' Hurdle, but the Stayers' is the preferred target right now.

"She travels out on Saturday and couldn't be in better form. We met with the owners on Tuesday night and the point was made that her best run was her last run when winning the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.

"She achieved her highest rating there and it was over three miles so why not roll the dice in the Stayers'? Not only that, the ground wasn't that slow at Gowran on Thyestes day either, but she put up a good performance."

He added: "Being honest, I'd be a little worried about her being taken out of her comfort zone early in the Mares' Hurdle. Unless the ground turned hugely in her favour, I can't see us changing back to the Mares'. The weather forecast looks okay so you'd have to say it's more likely that the Stayers' is the race for her."

Peter Fahey: 'Unless the ground turned hugely in her favour, I can't see us changing back to the Mares''Credit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Fahey is set to be represented in Britain before the festival as Surprise Package will be aimed at the Imperial Cup at Sandown on Saturday and, if he runs as the trainer expects he will, could take in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham next week, a race Fahey won 12 months ago with 33-1 outsider Belfast Banter.

He said: "Surprise Package will run in the Imperial Cup and he travelled over there this morning. His last bits of work were excellent. It's a competitive race but, if he handles it around there, he should put up a very big performance. If he runs like we hope he will he could go on and run in the County Hurdle next week. Visionarian is unlikely to run in that."

On the rest of his Cheltenham prospects, Fahey said: "I'm really looking forward to running Born Patriot in the Pertemps. He has track form, a nice weight and goes there with a chance.

"We don't know where we're going to go with Freedom To Dream. We'll see if he gets into the Martin Pipe, but he will also be entered for a handicap hurdle at Uttoxeter on Saturday so he travels over and the hope is that he'll run at Cheltenham, but we'll have to see how the races are breaking up next week."

Fahey also confirmed that the hugely talented but increasingly brittle Gypsy Island will make her first start on a racecourse since winning at Tipperary last May when she lines up in the Grade 3 Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle at Naas on Sunday.

He said: "It's brilliant to have Gypsy Island back after another long layoff. Hopefully she runs well but, most importantly, comes out of it well. She's in good shape, but will definitely improve from it."

Stayers' Hurdle card and betting

Imperial Cup card and betting

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