Enda Bolger has confirmed that he intends to send Staker Wallace to contest the St James’s Place Festival Hunter Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival in a bid to improve upon his fourth in last year’s renewal.
The Limerick man has been responsible for training the winner of the race on three occasions in 1996 with Elegant Lord and then on consecutive occasions in 2015 and 2016 with star Hunter Chaser On The Fringe, with his initial victory having also seen him ride the winning eight-year-old.
His representative in this year’s race will be the lightly raced ten-year-old Staker Wallace, a horse that suffered an injury interrupted early career which saw him run just four times in a near four-year period.
In recent times however he has delivered on the promise of his early career, finishing fourth to It Came To Pass at last year’s Festival, whilst this term he recorded his belated first success on the racecourse when easily winning the Earl of Harrington Memorial Maiden Hunter Chase at his local course over Christmas.
Having chased home the Cheltenham favourite Billaway for a second year in succession in the ultra-competitive Naas Hunter Chase at the end of last month, Bolger reports the JP McManus-owned King’s Theatre gelding to be on course for a return trip across the Irish Sea.
“We will hopefully have Staker Wallace for the Foxhunters, he ran well the other day,” said the Co. Limerick trainer.
“He is meeting Billaway again and he has beaten him three times already so we are kind of going hoping and wishing.
“He is in good form and is a horse that is improving with his racing.”
Staker Wallace is currently top-priced 11/1 third favourite behind Billaway and It Came To Pass for the Festival Hunter Chase on March 19.
Festival runner-up Billaway proves too strong in the Naas Hunters Chase for the second year in a row under Patrick Mullins, landing the finale for Willie Mullins at @NaasRacecourse pic.twitter.com/gtuNOzrRj4
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 31, 2021
