Gilligan sets sights on repeating dream victory with Berties

MORE than the locals thought he was mad 12 months ago. After all, the odds were loaded against the then little known West of Ireland trainer saddling a Cheltenham festival winner with his first ever runner at the famed meeting. It was no accident that Berties Dream was sent off a 33/1 chance in the Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle.

But Paul Gilligan was undaunted and his judgment was vindicated in the most spectacular way possible when his stable star powered up the unforgiving Cheltenham hill to land the prize for staying novices by six lengths from Najef. It also represented the first time that a Galway-based trainer savoured festival glory.

Gilligan is now preparing to return to the scene of his greatest triumph with the same horse, but Berties Dream will still be an outsider in betting terms as odds of 40/1 are freely available about his chances in next Thursday’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle.

Apart from the high number of quality stayers set to face the starter, not least title holder Big Buck’s and Grand Crus, Gilligan’s charge is only making his second appearance over hurdles after last year’s shock win at the track, ensuring his chances of more festival success are considered in the remote category.

Berties Dream had started off the current campaign in novice chases, finishing an honourable nine lengths fourth on his debut over the larger obstacles to leading RSA contender Jessies Dream in a beginners event at Galway last October. “He wasn’t fully wound up that day, so it was an encouraging run.”

Subsequently, the eight-year-old finished down the field in novice chases at Cheltenham and Fairyhouse, but Gilligan was relatively unperturbed. “There was some illness in the yard, due to what we found out later was caused by the bedding we were using, and the horses just weren’t right.

“It took us a long time to get it out of their systems and that was the reason why a lot of mine weren’t finishing their races. He also made the odd error over fences, but was still finding his way home which was a positive for the future.”

In the New Year, the Craughwell-based handler decided that Berties Dream should revert to hurdling in order to perserve his novice chasing status for next season. But again it wasn’t plain sailing as the horse picked up a bug ahead of the Boyne Hurdle at Navan in February. “In fairness, he recovered fairly quickly but would have badly needed the run that day.” 

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.