‘SPRING HORSE’
Derek O’Connor is quite keen on Vanillier here, telling myracing: “I’m looking forward to riding another ex-point winner, last year’s Albert Bartlett winner Vanillier, for Gavin Cromwell in the National Hunt Chase.
“I sat on him last week. He jumped well over six fences and did a nice bit of work. Gavin’s horses seem to be coming into form. He had a treble at Navan earlier this month.
“Vanillier was well beaten in third behind Stattler at Naas in January, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I think he’s a spring horse and when he won the Albert Bartlett it was after a poor run at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“He’s a horse I’ve known since his early days. I did plenty of schooling with him when he was with Sam Curling. Ironically, when he won his maiden at Dromahane I was aboard the runner-up for Robert Tyner.”