Vautour at crossroads on path to Cheltenham
THE weekend destination of Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite Vautour hinges this morning on how the gelding works for trainer Willie Mullins.
The King George VI Chase runner-up could go for the Denman Chase at Newbury or the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park. The Denman Chase was the stepping stone to Gold Cup glory for Coneygree last year.
Vautour was made Gold Cup favourite after his stablemate Djakadam fell in the Betbright Trial Chase at Cheltenham last month. And Mullins said: ‘ Vautour will work on Tuesday morning and then we will see what we are going to do.’
Mullins looks like firing plenty of ammunition at the £ 155,000 Betfair Hurdle, Britain’s most valuable National Hunt handicap.
Eight of the 31 entries at Newbury are from his stable, including recent Leopardstown winner Blazer and Kalkir, runnerup in the Coral.ie Hurdle. Mullins said: ‘It is a great prize and I am hoping to have a few runners.’
Conditions are likely to be testing at the Berkshire track, which is bad news for Paul Nicholls- trained Modus, the 5-1 favourite. TRAINER Gary Moore has been dealt a blow after injury ended Traffic Fluide’s season. The third to Un De Sceaux in the Clarence House Chase last month was due to face Dodging Bullets in Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase.
Meanwhile, Darren Egan, once among the top apprentice jockeys in the country and now believed to live in the US, has been banned from racing for 12 years.
Egan, 23, was found guilty yesterday of involvement in a gambling conspiracy which saw him fail to ride two horses on their merits in 2013.