Percy looks set to trade up to Gold Cup
are no secrets with Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite, Presenting Percy. But knowing what the eight-year-old is all about – and turning it into a racewinning strategy – is another thing all together.
It may be that the race will not take place if the equine flu outbreak turns out to be stubborn. But there is still time to be optimistic. The way last year’s principals have performed during the winter season, the 2019 vintage may not be one of the most memorable.
The winner, Native River, is on track but was well behind in third in Boxing Day’s King George.
Last year the Tizzards took in the Denman Chase at Newbury, en route to the festival, and he will want testing ground to be at his heroic best.
Might Bite, runner-up last year, has been unplaced twice so far and took in Aintree last year, after a draining, thrilling Gold Cup effort.
Meanwhile, Irish raider Presenting Percy is quietly doing his work in flu-free Ireland, and will follow the same path to Cheltenham as last year.
He made his seasonal debut three weeks ago, in Gowran Park’s Glenmoy hurdle, and connections were delighted with his win. Held up and racing wide to find better ground, the Patrick Kelly-trained gelding travelled smoothly over three miles.
Next stop, repeating the 2018 schedule, will be another date at Gowran for the Red Mills Chase, this coming Saturday.
Last season the Gold Cup wasn’t the bullseye but Presenting Percy delivered, capturing the Grade 1 RSA Chase by seven lengths.
Perfectly at home over Cheltenham’s challenging fences, Davy Russell turned
There in, going much more comfortably than his rivals. No-one wants this dangerous and disruptive flu. But, unwittingly, it has handed the Irish contingent a huge edge, as if that were ever needed.
The lightly-raced Presenting Percy, from Kelly’s tiny Athenry stable, is still progressive over fences and is a worthy 3/1 favourite.
In the hurdle divisions, JP Mcmanus has been signing cheques to buy doublewinner, Fakir Dudairies, Naas winner, Konitho, and 10/1 bumper chance, Blue Sari.
He already has the 13/8 favourite in the Triumph Hurdle in Grade 1 winner Sir Erec, so perhaps Fakir Dudairies will be aimed at the Supreme at 7/1.
Kelso looks set to lose one of it’s marquee meetings on Thursday, as racing’s administrators wrestle with the continuing devastation of equine flu.
Just 26 days ahead of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, the Morebattle Hurdle day seems set to follow 15 meetings already lost.
With that proximity to jump-racing’s sell-out four days in the Cotswolds, top Southern trainers support the meeting for Kelso’s normally good ground.
In the Morebattle Hurdle itself, Nicky Henderson, Alan King, Paul Nicholls, Harry Fry and Jamie Snowdon all have entries for the £18,768 first prize.
With the British Horse Racing Authority due to give a further update tomorrow on the state of play, it seems odds-on Kelso will fall. Musselburgh has had two jolting blows, when first their two-day Cheltenham trials meeting fell to frost last weekend, costing a sixfigure sum.
Now today’s replacement one-day meeting, containing the top events from last Saturday and Sunday, has been sabotaged by the flu outbreak.
Ayr have lost a meeting on Tuesday and are due to race again two weeks tomorrow, by which time the emergency may be over – but who knows?