FIRST LIEUTENANT will attempt to keep the sponsor’s money at home when he lines up in Thursday’s two-mile Grade One Ryanair Chase at the Punchestown festival.

The horse, owned by the Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary, had a range of festival options this week but the Gigginstown Stud team have decided he will drop back to the minimum trip having finished runner-up to Bob’s Worth in the RSA at Cheltenham last month.

The move gives Gigginstown a strong hand in the top novice events at Punchestown with the unbeaten 2013 ante-post Gold Cup favourite Sir Des Champs now a long odds favourite for tomorrow’s Growise Champion Novice Chase.

“For obvious reasons First Lieutenant’s owner would like to have a runner in Thursday’s race and as he has nothing else entered it has been decided to run First Lieutenant,” Mouse Morris said.