L’Homme Presse out of Gold Cup

L’HOMME PrESSE, as short as 6-1 second favourite for the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, will miss the showpiece.

The winner of six of his eight starts over fences, the eight-year-old ran a fine race in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing day before unseating Charlie deutsch at the last fence. A statement issued on behalf of trainer Venetia Williams and owners dFA racing read: ‘We have given L’Homme Presse some time to get over his exertions in the King George before carrying out some veterinary investigations. ‘unfortunately, these have revealed that he has a couple of issues that, although temporary, mean he will not be able to run in this year’s Gold Cup. ‘He will be given time and patience to recover fully, and we will monitor his rehabilitation over the next few weeks before making a decision on any future races in the spring.’