Aintree calling for Ryanair hero Heart Wood

Ryanair Chase winner Heart Wood could double up with Grand National meeting success after connections confirmed Merseyside will be the next port of call for the Henry de Bromhead star.

The eight-year-old produced one of the performances of the week at the Cheltenham Festival when beating Jonbon by 10 lengths to clinch the extended two-and-a-half-mile Grade One.

It was one of two winners for owners Robcour, who had two more taking place honours at Prestbury Park, and racing manager Robbie Power revealed Heart Wood will be at Aintree, with the Melling Chase on April 10 in mind.

“We were thrilled,” Power said of Heart Wood’s Cheltenham triumph. “It was a brilliant performance he put up.

“We thought he’d improve as he got older, but he’s definitely improved. It was a brilliant ride.

“We were hopeful going out and that he had a great chance, but I didn’t think he’d put in a performance like he did. It was a brilliant galloping and jumping performance.

“I won’t say I was disappointed when Fact To File came out, (but) we were a little bit more confident after that. We were hopeful he’d run well, but did I think he’d put in a performance as good as he did? Probably not, but I’m delighted.

“Ground-wise he is definitely versatile but the performance he put up at Cheltenham, he is probably a better horse on nicer ground.

“He has the option of Aintree. I’d probably say Aintree is where you’ll see him next – the two-and-a-half-mile Melling Chase, that will look the most likely target for him.”

Bob Olinger may have lost his unbeaten record at the Gloucestershire track, but he produced a gallant effort in third in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle, while the Gordon Elliott-trained Teahupoo came home in sixth.

“They’ve both come out of the race in great form,” Power said.

“We were delighted with Bob Olinger, I thought he ran a blinder. He always runs his race, he’s a fantastic horse and we are lucky to have him.

“The first two home were there all the way off the pace, especially on the Thursday, the pace was held up the front all day and we were one of the only horses from the whole day that came from a long way from off the pace to challenge.

“We will see how he is over the next few weeks, he’s 11 now so we don’t want to abuse him. We want to look after him.

“We have the option of Punchestown, obviously, but we will see how he comes out of the race and monitor the situation.”

He added: “The ground was probably just too fast for Teahupoo, that definitely found him out. They just had him off his feet a little bit on the better ground.

“He ran well, he ran a super race and got out to the line, but the ground just caught him out.

“We will monitor the situation with him, obviously the stayers’ (Liverpool) hurdle at Aintree as well as Punchestown (Champion Stayers’ Hurdle).

“If Aintree becomes soft, we could head out to Aintree. He will probably run again this season, but we have to monitor him with ground and all that.

“He went to Aintree last year and didn’t run because the ground was a bit too quick. If we think Aintree is going to be on the soft side he could go there, if not, Punchestown.”

Air Of Entitlement concluded the Festival with victory in the Martin Pipe, although no decision has been made on whether that was the seven-year-old mare’s final run of the season.

“She’s come out of the race in mighty form,” Power said. “She won the mares’ novice last year and came back and won the Martin Pipe – a fantastic mare.

“Where we go next I don’t know. We will see how the handicapper reacts and thinks of that.

“She has plenty of options to run again, but we will see how she is over the next couple of weeks.”