MINELLA’S MARCH TO GOLD CUP

MINELLA Indo should successfully negotiate his next hurdle on the road to the Cheltenham Gold Cup by landing the Grade 2 Betvictor Make Your Best Bet Chase in Navan tomorrow.

The race, for second season novices, looks tailor-made for the Henry de Bromhead-trained seven-year-old, winner of the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham and Punchestown’s Irish Daily Mirror Novice Hurdle (both Grade 1 events) as a novice hurdler.

But the Beat Hollow gelding always looked like a chaser-in-the-making. And he made a big impression, in just three outings over the bigger obstacles last season, starting with a promising second to Laurina at Gowran Park in November.

He missed a Grade 2 engagement at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting due to good ground before opening his account at Navan in January.

Then, tried in Grade 1 company for the first time (over fences), Rachael Blackmore’s mount looked set to land the RSA at

Cheltenham, until collared late by the remarkable surge of Champ.

In the Grade 3 M W Hickey Memorial Chase in Wexford last month, Minella Indo jumped soundly and stretched clear in the closing stages to slam Kim Muir winner Milan Native by no less than 25 lengths.

Expected to strip fitter tomorrow, Minella Indo (above) will be suited by this three miles, on a stiff track, in testing ground, and should book his place in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown by landing the spoils.