Britain’s top-rated six-year-old point-to-pointer Ihandaya will miss his intended season’s debut at Chaddesley Corbett on December 28.
The winner of four races last season for owner Clive Hitchings, the Nicky Sheppard-trained Ihandaya (pictured under Natalie Parker in yellow colours, above) has suffered a “setback”. Sheppard’s husband Matt said: “We won’t be entered for Chaddesley Corbett. We’ll have a better idea when we take another look at him later in the week.”
Ihandaya began point-to-pointing from Sam Loxton’s Somerset stable, but moved to Sheppard’s yard last season to be nearer his owner’s home. He won four on the bounce towards the season’s end and was given Britain’s top rating for his age group by Martin Harris, whose figures are published in the Point-to-Point & Hunter Chase Yearbook.
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Kalypso has a proper Festival chance
Kalypso'chance (right, Jack Teal) on his way to victory at Corbridge in April (photo by Grace Beresford)
Former British point-to-pointer Kalypso’chance took another step towards glory at the Cheltenham Festival when winning impressively at Navan yesterday.
Now trained by Gordon Elliott, the four-year-old landed a Listed bumper under Patrick Mullins and hardened as favourite in betting on the Gr.1 Weatherbys Champion Bumper at the Festival in March.
Kalypso’chance, a son of Masked Marvel, was bought as a two-year-old store for €34,000 at an Arqana sale in France by Roger Marley, who then placed the horse in the care of Yorkshire’s Jack Teal. From Teal’s yard, and ridden by his trainer, the gelding won in good style at Corbridge in April this year and was subsequently sold at Tattersalls Cheltenham’s April Sale for £85,000.