Marine Nationale thriving ahead of Irish Arkle assignment

Barry Connell “couldn’t be happier” with Marine Nationale ahead of the Goffs Irish Arkle next weekend.

Last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner has only been seen once this campaign but that was when he made a seamless switch to fences at Leopardstown over Christmas.

The Irish Arkle has been the aim since, with the perfect gap to the Cheltenham Festival.

“All is 100 per cent, I couldn’t be happier,” said Connell.

“To have a horse that had so much ability over hurdles to take to chasing so well is very exciting indeed.

“All roads lead to Leopardstown now. It’s coming to crunch time, once the Dublin Racing Festival is over and the Cheltenham previews start it will ramp up and soon be here.

“His preparation has been very straightforward and we are happy with where he is and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Connell had two Grade One-winning novice hurdlers last season but the fortunes of Good Land could not be more different.

He suffered a tendon injury in October which required a full year on the sidelines.

“Good Land is doing well. He did a tendon and the time frame on that is about 12 months,” said Connell.

“His treatment will be finished by May and then he’ll go out for the summer at grass, hopefully when he comes back in we’ll be able to train him for a novice chase campaign.

“At least he managed to win his Grade One last year, a lot of good horses get an injury before they manage to do that and fulfil any of their potential, so that’s the other way of looking at it.”

Connell also has high hopes for recent Navan bumper winner William Munny who downed Willie Mullins’ well-touted C’est Ta Chance with the pair 12 lengths clear of the rest.

“We always thought he was up to winning a bumper but in the run up to Cheltenham, the big yards are all trying to get qualified so it takes an exceptional horse to win one,” said Connell.

“We’ve given him a lot of time, he’s six now, and I think there could be plenty more to come from him.

“If you took out the other horse, our horse was a wide-margin winner and would probably be favourite for the Cheltenham bumper.

“We’ll probably give him one more run in a winner’s bumper this year and go novice hurdling next year. The DRF would come too soon. There’s one at Naas we could look at.”