December Gold Cup: Unioniste's connections face wait

Nicholls will be hoping Unioniste gets a run

Leading contender Unioniste is only first reserve for the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday...

The Paul Nicholls-trained four-year-old has been prominent in the market for the prestigious handicap having run so well in novice company when third behind Dynaste at Prestbury Park a month ago.

Connections now face an anxious wait to find out whether he will get a run and that could hinge on whether Doncaster's meeting on Saturday gets the go-ahead.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained duo of Divers and De Boitron have both been declared with the race as their second preference.

Murphy said: "The plan is for both of ours to go to Doncaster if the meeting goes ahead. Divers is going to run in the two-mile-three-furlong race there and De Boitron goes for the three miler.

"But it was no more money for us to declare for Cheltenham as a second preference so with the way the weather is, it was a no-brainer."

The course at Doncaster is currently frozen, but temperatures are due to rise from Friday morning.

Harry Derham will take the ride on Unioniste if he does line up, with his 5lb claim a big help considering he runs from 6lb out of the handicap. Ruby Walsh partners stablemate Cristal Bonus, an impressive winner on his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal.

A total of 18 horses including Unioniste have been declared, but Hunt Ball is a notable absentee.

Burke said: "We've decided not to run him. It's purely because of the ground and I think they're forecast more rain yet. He's in very good order and the plan is to go straight to Kempton now for the King George on Boxing Day."

Alan King's Walkon is towards the head of the market on the back of a good effort on his return at Cheltenham last month and he has been declared for Saturday's contest. Philip Hobbs had Menorah and Wishfull Thinking engaged at the confirmation stage, but only the latter has been declared.

Nicky Henderson saddles both Quantitativeeasing and Nadiya De La Vega, ridden by Barry Geraghty and Tony McCoy respectively.

Other leading contenders include David Pipe's Notus De La Tour and Astracad from the local stable of Nigel Twiston-Davies.

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