Gilligan points to back issue after Buddy One disappointment

Buddy One is set to take a direct route to the Stayers’ Hurdle after he was found to be suffering from a back problem following his disappointing run at Leopardstown last week.

The seven-year-old provided trainer Paul Gilligan with a memorable Cheltenham victory in November, but has since come up short in two starts at Grade One level – finishing last of five in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse before being pulled up in the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle.

However, Gilligan has not lost any faith in his stable star and will now look to get him back to his best for the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He said: “He didn’t scope clear after the race the other day, but I think the main thing was he had a very sore back afterwards.

“I don’t know if he took a false step or what happened, but we had him away yesterday and all will be good, so we’ll look forward to March.

“He won’t run before then and I would imagine it will be the Stayers’ Hurdle – I don’t think there’s anything else for him really. We haven’t entered him for the Dublin Racing Festival because there is no race for these three-mile horses and I’m not going to rush him back.”

Buddy One is likely to be a big price for the Stayers’ Hurdle, with Hatton’s Grace hero Teahupoo and his Christmas Hurdle-winning stablemate Irish Point disputing favouritism with some bookmakers.

Gilligan added: “I thought he ran a nice race to a point the other day, but he just didn’t gallop through the line the way he can.

“It’s horses for courses, he seems to like Cheltenham and we’ll look forward to taking him back there before going over fences next season.

“Teahupoo is a good horse and Irish Point is a good horse, but we have form around that course, which is a big plus, and there’s a reason for his run in Leopardstown.”