Past bolsters O'Brien's Gold dream
Forget The Past provided a boost to the chances of stable companion In Compliance in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup with a smooth success in the MacLochainn Road Markings Ltd Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles.
Both horses are owned and trained respectively by Sean Mulryan and Michael O’Brien, but connections have repeatedly stated In Compliance is the stable’s main hope for the blue riband and the style of this victory will have done their confidence no harm.
Settled just off the pace set by Public Reaction, Forget The Past put in a number of extravagant leaps down the far side before taking up the running at the second-last.
The even-money favourite held off the attentions of Hi Cloy (4-1) and Mossy Green for a two-length success that never really looked in any doubt.
VC Bet left him unchanged at 16-1 for the Gold Cup, in which he was third last year, while William Hill went 25-1 from 33-1. Stan James go 18-1 from 25-1.
“The young lad (Andrew Lynch) gets on really well with him. He doesn’t mess about with him. Now his back has been sorted his jumping is as good as it was when he was a young horse,” O’Brien said.
“I hope he goes on to better things now. It was a good performance over two and a half miles and he beat a specialist at that distance in Hi Cloy.
“It was never the plan to go to the Hennessy with him. He is just there in case something happens to the other fellow (In Compliance). He will probably go to Gowran for the Red Mills Chase next (February 17).
“They both run in the same colours so they won’t take on each other at Cheltenham. If In Compliance can prove he stays, Forget The Past will probably go for the Ryanair Chase.
“If he doesn’t stay though, it would be no problem to switch him back to two miles for the Queen Mother.
“It’s fabulous having two top-class horses but Forget The Past is not quite a Gold Cup horse. In Compliance has much more class.”
