The J P McManus owned Shackleton comfortably beat some useful opponents in Arctic Times and Viaduct when winning at Clonmel, Feb 6. The going that day was testing it will be interesting to see how it fares on a quicker surface.

What Odds was always prominent in winning a useful hunter chase at Fairyhouse Feb 22, from Polaris Flame 96. The winner has won a number of points is obviously improving and is an intended runner for the Cheltenham Foxhunters. It will need to improve greatly to win that contest particularly as its competent rider, Mr D W Cullen (7lb here), will not be able to claim in that event. The feature of this race, however, was the poor efforts of Shackleton (bad mistake eighth,pu) and The Wipper. Connections of both had excuses, in the former case it was a burst blood vessel and in the latter evidence of a respiratory infection. The result suggests that Shackleton should have beaten the winner, though this contest was run on much better ground than the Clonmel contest where What Odds was pulled up.

Sheltering, was not at its best last season but has bounced back, after what looks like another successful wind operation. It made all in beating serious rivals in veteran Dorans Pride and upandcoming Joe Blake. The winner has had difficultyin getting round at Cheltenham in the past but deserves another shot at the Foxhunters. Dorans Pride was plenty fit enough having won a number of points but can not be expected to improve much on this showing, though is stil good enough to win the average hunter chase. Joe Blake made mistakes towards the end. A lack of race fitness being a likely reason. Hopes would have been high at the start of the season for Foxhunter's glory for this one. With the likes of Earthmover returning to the Hunter Chase ranks and the emergence of new stars such as Kingscliff and Shackleton, it is up against it now.

The Wipper beat a useful field of Hunters and Pointers when making all to win by a large margin from Draw Again 90 with Viaduct a never nearer third at Thurles, Jan 30.

With wins at Wetherby, Feb 1 and Chepstow, Feb 4 Earthmover qualified for the Foxhunters at Cheltenham in March. It will be one of the favourites for that event, its comparable rating from last season in handicap company would be 134. Against it, is its age, 12 and the fact that it does seem to run best fresh. County Derry was only a few lengths behind and staying on when falling in the Chepstow contest.