Don Cossack is set to try and get his season back on track at Thurles tomorrow and Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown Stud team haven't ruled out their two other main Cheltenham Gold Cup hopes, Don Poli and Road To Riches, taking each other on at Leopardstown next month.
Although it will be run as the Irish Gold Cup this year, the Ryanair boss landed the race in both 2013 and 2014 when it was known as the Hennessy with Sir Des Champs and Last Instalment respectively.
Don Poli and Road To Riches dominate ante-post betting for the Grade One feature and O’Leary’s brother, and bloodstock adviser, Eddie O’Leary, says there will be no problem with both Gigginstown horses taking each other on if their trainers feel they want to run.
Willie Mullins originally indicated Don Poli might go straight to Cheltenham after the horse's Lexus victory over Christmas, a race Road To Riches missed out on after failing to please his trainer Noel Meade.
Impressive winner
“It was only a little thing with Road To Riches over Christmas and he’s fine again. We hope to go straight for the Leopardstown race with him. It’s up to Willie if Don Poli goes as well. If he feels it is necessary with a view to Cheltenham, then grand: if not, that’s grand too,” O’Leary said.
Road To Riches was an impressive winner of his sole start to date this season at Clonmel in November while Don Poli left many unimpressed with a scrambling Lexus victory and Gigginstown's No.1 rider Bryan Cooper could yet face a dilemma in choosing which to ride at Leopardstown.
Don Poli is currently an evens favourite for Leopardstown with Road To Riches a 2-1 shot, clear of Foxrock who is an 8-1 third favourite in some lists.
Eddie O’Leary also indicated that Gigginstown’s top hurdler, Identity Thief, is likely to miss Sunday week’s BHP Irish Champion Hurdle and instead go straight to Cheltenham in March without another run.
Identity Thief followed up his Fighting Fifth success at Newcastle in November with a fine second to Nichols Canyon over Christmas. His absence from the Leopardstown race would leave it very much a Willie Mullins show with his trio of Faugheen, Arctic Fire and Nichols Canyon.
“I imagine our preference is to go straight to Cheltenham with Identity Thief. He had a hard race the last day . . . and it’s only a year since he won his bumper. I’d say it is odds-on he’ll go straight to Cheltenham,” said O’Leary.
Don Cossack is a long odds-on favourite for tomorrow's Ladbrokes Kinloch Brae Chase, a Grade Two he won last year. Trainer Gordon Elliott believes it could serve as a confidence boost after the horse's fall in the King George at Kempton last month.
Another crack
The dual-Grade One winning novice No More Heroes is set to get a Gold Cup entry although he remains on course for the RSA while another of Gigginstown’s leading steeplechasers, First Lieutenant, bounced back to something like his best by finishing runner-up to Don Poli in the Lexus and remains in contention for another crack at the Irish Gold Cup although he is also topweight for this Sunday’s Coral Handicap Chase.
A total of 22 entries remain in that contest and the JP McManus-owned Dressedtothenines is early favourite. Gigginstown’s other options include Rule The World and Folsom Blue who also has an option in the valuable handicap chase at Warwick on Saturday.
