Grimes is facing race to get fit

Grimes could miss his intended reappearance over hurdles at Wincanton next month and has not even been entered in the Irish Independent Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, trainer Christy Roche revealed today.

The eight-year-old, who repaid connections' long-held faith when winning the Shell Champion Hurdle at last May's Punchestown Festival, is quietly fancied each-way for Cheltenham's Smurfit Champion Hurdle on 13 March. Now a 20-1 shot, he was the subject of notable interest at 33-1 with William Hill yesterday.

But persistent wet weather and frost has hindered Grimes's preparation this season, leaving his County Kildare handler with a race against time to get him fit even to contest Wincanton's Grade Two Kingwell Hurdle on 22 February.

Roche stressed Grimes would only run at Cheltenham if the ground is genuinely good and indicated that later Grade One targets, such as the Martell Aintree Hurdle on 7 April and the defence of his Punchestown title, are higher priorities.

"We switched Grimes back to hurdles late last season, mainly to preserve his novice chasing status for another season," said Roche. "But it coincided with the fast ground he needs and he came right back to his best. This season, we took the view that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If he stays good over hurdles, why revert to fences?"

Grimes was marked out as a novice chaser to follow on his debut in April 1999 when running far more experienced Arkle Chase hero, Flagship Uberalles, to nine lengths at Aintree. But he then failed to win a chase and Roche confirmed he has not even been entered for this year's Arkle, despite appearing at as low as 14-1 in the betting. Like stablemate Youlneverwalkalone, who runs - weather permitting - tomorrow at Haydock, Grimes's Champion Hurdle entry is merely a precaution in case defending three-time titleholder Istabraq does not run. All three horses are owned by J P McManus, the former JCB driver turned tax exile and renowned gambler.