Punchestown News: Long Run seeking Gold

Long Run will head to Punchestown.

Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen is hoping to make his first ride at Punchestown a winning one when Long Run contests the Punchestown Gold Cup tomorrow...

Nicky Henderson's dual King George winner will face seven rivals in the feature race of the meeting, including his stablemate Riverside Theatre.

Long Run finished third in the Gold Cup at Cheltenham for the second successive year, but for the last four seasons his campaign has ended in Gloucestershire.

This year, however, connections are keen to let him have one more spin.

"He appears to have come out of Cheltenham very well and seems to be enjoying life so we thought we'd rise to the challenge and take on Ireland," said Waley-Cohan.

"You can never be sure that a horse has fully recovered from a race like the Gold Cup but the horse usually tells you himself if he's up to another run and everything we've seen tells us that he is, he's been working very well.

"I've never ridden at Punchestown before and am really excited to be going over there.

"This is one of the great racing festivals and it's a real thrill to be part of it."

Willie Mullins runs Gold Cup runner-up Sir Des Champs while in the same Gigginstown Stud ownership Mouse Morris' Aintree Bowl winner First Lieutenant and Colm Murphy's Quito De La Roque take their chance.

Paul Nicholls, who won the race twice with Neptune Collonges in 2007 and 2008, is represented by Kauto Stone, with Philip Hobbs, successful with Planet Of Sound in 2010, running Captain Chris, second to Long Run in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Gordon Elliott's Chicago Grey completes the field.

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