Cheltenham 2013: Sir remains on Gold trail

Sir des Champs could run in the Gold Cup.

Connections of Sir Des Champs retain hope he will be a major player in this season's Cheltenham Gold Cup following his staying-on fourth in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown last week...

The Willie Mullins-trained French import is set to return to Leopardstown for the Hennessy Gold Cup in February after he was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Tidal Bay.

Eddie O'Leary, manager for owners Gigginstown House Stud, is keeping his fingers crossed a better round of jumping can see him back on the winning trail.

O'Leary said: "We were happy with how he ran. He obviously made one or two jumping mistakes and if he'd had a clear round he would have been closer.

"I think he got slightly unsighted at one or two fences, which didn't help, but overall we were happy with how he performed.

"All going well, he'll go for the Hennessy next. Let's just hope all goes well in the meantime.

"After the way he ran (in the Lexus), hopefully at this stage he still has a chance in the Gold Cup, if we can sort his jumping out."

Davy Russell partnered Sir Des Champs and admits he could have ridden him closer to the pace.

"It was a good race and we went a good, honest pace the whole way. It was a good trial for what we'll be looking forward to in March," the champion jockey told At The Races.

"He has a lot of stamina and, in hindsight, over the first three fences I maybe should have been a little bit closer and I wouldn't have depended on his jumping as much as I needed to.

"A couple of mistakes just took him out of it, but he showed good heart and stayed on well."

Gigginstown were also represented in the Lexus by the Mouse Morris-trained First Lieutenant, who ran a blinder to finish second.

"It was the best run he's ever had at this time of year. In the past he has never really run well during the winter, he's really a spring horse," said O'Leary.

"This year he seems to be running much better during the winter, so if he can improve in the spring as he has in previous years, we'll be very happy.

"He'll go straight to Cheltenham now, for either the Ryanair or the Gold Cup.

"Mouse likes to run his horses at Christmas and go straight to Cheltenham and they always go there in top condition."

Pandorama was making his first appearance since the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup having been sidelined with a tendon injury.

Noel Meade's inmate came home seventh of the eight finishers and although there was no recurrence of the old problem, he has suffered a minor setback.

Meade said: "He's pulled a muscle behind and he's quite sore on it just at the moment.

"Paul (Carberry, jockey) thought he just stretched a bit at one of his fences.

"He won't be able to do anything for another week or so and we'll just have to see how he goes.

"Hopefully it's not too major as I'd like him to have his second run back in the Hennessy.

"It's unfortunate, but his front legs seems fine, which is the main thing."

The Shark Hanlon-trained Hidden Cyclone trailed home last of those that finished in the Lexus and is now set to come back in trip.

Hanlon said: "He has come out of the race well, he was just way too free.

"He was half running away with Andrew (McNamara) going down to the start.

"The plan was to settle him fourth or fifth but he couldn't do that as he was too free and he has unsurprisingly got very tired.

"In lesser company you can get away with it, but over three miles, in that ground and at that level, it's going to find you out.

"We'll come back to two and a half (miles) with him now.

"There is a race in Thurles, a race back at Leopardstown and the Red Mills Chase at Gowran.

"We'll stick to two and a half with him for now, until we can get him settled.

"He could go for the Ryanair Chase in Cheltenham, or, if we can get him to settle, we could still think about the Gold Cup."

Get open access to Timeform data for just 2.50 a day with Timeform Race Passes. It's like a Form Book, Black Book & Race Card all in one! Find Out More!