Greatrex sights on Irish Gold

WARREN Greatrex (left) remains keen on sending La Bague Au Roi back to Leopardstown for the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup.

The nine-year-old mare won the Flogas Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival last season and is pencilled in for a return to the showpiece fixture for the €250,000 feature on February 2.

La Bague Au Roi has failed to strike since securing top-level honours a year ago, having been pulled up on her seasonal return in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby before finishing third in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon and in a mares’ event at Doncaster.

She has options on home soil, with the

Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday week and next month’s Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury in the mix but the Lambourn handler favours another trip across the Irish Sea, provided conditions at Leopardstown are suitable.

Greatrex said: “We will look at the Cotswold Chase next weekend but I think that would be doubtful because of the ground. She is already entered at Leopardstown and is likely to be entered in the Denman.

“I’d say Leopardstown would be the preference if the ground remained what it was like there over Christmas – the better the ground, the bigger her chance.”

Greatrex believes a return to three miles is also key in helping La Bague Au Roi revive her fortunes having been campaigned over shorter on her last two starts.

He added: “I think she definitely needs to go back over three miles now. I’m just mindful she doesn’t want to be running in a bog.

“We know she handles the track at Leopardstown really well, having won round there last year.”

Former Kim Muir winner Missed Approach could take his first step towards a potential tilt at the Randox Health Grand National by making his return from injury at Exeter on February 9.

“We are probably looking towards running Missed Approach in a veterans’ chase at Exeter next month,” Greatrex added.