Gigginstown Stud’s new jockey
Bryan Cooper
could be spoiled for choice in Saturday’s Grade Two feature at Naas but Henry De Bromhead’s sole focus will be on Sizing Gold’s ability to last out the three mile trip.
Sizing Gold, an impressive winner over last weekend's scorer Mullaghanone River at Navan a month ago, is set to step up in both distance and grade for Saturday's Woodlands Park 100 Novice Chase, a race that could determine his destination at the Cheltenham festival.
Currently a 20/1 shot with Paddy Power for the JLT Novice Chase over two and a half miles, Sizing Gold is also a 25/1 shot for the RSA over three miles.
Distance test
"We've always felt three miles would suit him but ultimately we don't know, and that's why we're going there – to find out," De Bromhead said yesterday.
If the Co Waterford trainer is to conduct a successful test, he will have to deal with the massed ranks of the hugely-powerful Gigginstown team who own a remarkable eight of the dozen entries left in the Woodlands including Drinmore winner Don Cossack and the highly regarded Mozoltov.
De Bromhead also confirmed yesterday that his veteran star Sizing Europe will skip a Cheltenham warm-up this season and will be sent straight to the festival, for either the Champion Chase or the Ryanair.
Another star veteran who is set to return from almost three years on the injury sidelines is the 2009 Cheltenham festival hero Dunguib. Philip Fenton’s 11-year-old is among 15 entries left in the Grade Three Limestone Lad Hurdle on Saturday.
