The ever-buoyant Joe O’Shea has suggested his hunter chase star Barton Snow could be aimed at either the Champion Chase or the Champion Hurdle next season.
The Snow Sky gelding is unbeaten in eight starts since joining O’Shea. Barton Snow completed a historic hunter chase double last season, landing the Cheltenham and Aintree Foxhunters.
O’Shea is not one to rest on his laurels, and has formulated a grand plan for this term.
O’Shea told the Press Association, via At The Races: “The owners have been on to me and said where do you want to go this season. So I said let’s go and win the Champion Hurdle. I’ll win a couple of point-to-points and a Hunter Chase and send him into training 15 days before.
“We would send him to Laura Morgan, win the Champion Hurdle. If he gets beat I’ll have him back for Aintree. And if not the Champion Hurdle then we will go for the Champion Chase – one of those two.”
“You are going to win it anyway” – Cheltenham success already confirmed, suggests O’Shea
Joe O’Shea has already assured his owners that Hunter Chase success at Cheltenham is guaranteed with stablemate Boley Bob.
Despite initially laughing at the plans, O’Shea reaffirmed his serious nature, stating: “I have told the owners we’ve got the Cheltenham winner in Boley Bob. ‘You are going to win it anyway’ I told them as it’s the same owners. That or be second to Barton Snow. But I’m telling you this is a flying machine. He is unbelievable. An absolutely amazing horse and we see it every day.”
Boley Bob was deemed ‘even better’ than Barton Snow by O’Shea last season. He has six wins from nine in point-to-points to date. 11 days after Barton Snow’s Aintree triumph, Boley Bob comfortably landed the Buccleuch Cup at Kelso.
Barton Snow has begun to up his work, as O’Shea added: “We’ve just upped him a gear this week, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. He has never failed to surprise me. He is only a little horse, but he has matured and the five months he has had off have done him the world of good.
“He hasn’t got bigger, but he’s got stronger and we are absolutely over the moon with him. We have just moved up and done his trotting and now he has started cantering and away we go.”