Dynaste is set for shorter trip 
at Cheltenham

DAVID Pipe’s grey Dynaste is set to line up in the Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival while Cue Card became the latest high-profile absentee following Sprinter Sacre.
Trainer Nicky HendersonTrainer Nicky Henderson
Trainer Nicky Henderson

Cue Card, Haydock’s Betfair Chase winner and King George runner-up, suffered a muscle 
injury at his trainer Colin Tizzard’s yard and is out of the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.

With Sprinter Sacre missing the BetVictor Queen Mother Champion Chase because of his fibrillating heart, Pipe believes the mid-distance Ryanair Chase could prove ideal for his stable star.

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Dynaste, second to Cue Card at Haydock, has not raced since a below-par run behind Silviniaco Conti in the William Hill King George Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

“With many potential Ryanair participants now more likely to take their chance in the Champion Chase, we are leaning towards the Ryanair Chase with Dynaste,” said Pipe.

“Our Grade One winning grey has responded well to his treatment from Mary Bromiley... he will be left in the Gold Cup until the last moment as a precaution although we are now favouring the shorter race.”

The decision paves the way for Pipe’s stable jockey Tom Scudamore to continue his partnership on David Bridgwater’s Cheltenham course specialist The Giant Bolster in the Gold Cup.

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Fourth and second in the last two renewals of racing’s blue riband contest, owner Simon Hunt was encouraged by the manner of The Giant Bolster’s impressive victory in the Argento Chase after three fairly innocuous efforts.

“I was just so pleased for the horse, who showed what he’s all about,” said Hunt. “He was second in the Gold Cup when AP McCoy gave Synchronised a fantastic ride and he didn’t let himself down last year.”

Asked if he gave the horse a chance this time, Hunt said: “I’d like to think so. If we’re somewhere in the mix turning in, the way he roars up that hill, we’ll be in with a shout.”

Yet, according to champion trainer Nicky Henderson, Silviniaco Conti and Last Instalment are the dangers if his Bobs Worth is to become the first horse to successfully defend the Gold Cup since Best Mate a decade ago.

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The nine-year-old, who is unbeaten in five visits to Prestbury Park, left behind a very disappointing reappearance behind Cue Card and Dynaste in the Betfair Chase by collecting Leopardstown’s Lexus Chase over Christmas.

“The Gold Cup is very open. By and large it’s the same faces, although the horse who won the other day (Last Instalment) is interesting and beat First Lieutenant by further than we did,” observed Henderson.

“Silviniaco Conti is the obvious horse. He would have been close if he hadn’t fallen last year.

“With the Irish, I think we know where we are with them. Yes, Silviniaco Conti beat us at Haydock, but we’re better than that.

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“You know if he’s in contention as they run to the second-last, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll finish his race off.”

Henderson also confirmed that 2011 Gold Cup winner Long Run will skip Cheltenham and head straight to the Crabbie’s Grand National after his confidence-boosting win at Kelso a fortnight ago.

“I think in all probability he will go straight to Aintree. We were very pleased with him at Kelso and he’s great,” he said.

As for Cue Card, his injury is a huge blow to the father and son team of Colin and Joe Tizzard who train and ride horses while running a dairy farm in Somerset.

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“Unfortunately he has pulled muscles behind... we first noticed it last week. It was only a small thing then and it is only small now, but we cantered him and he is still not right,” said Tizzard senior. “You can’t be going to Cheltenham 90 per cent.

“The horse has looked after me for the last four years and it is my turn to look after him now.”

Cheltenham’s Coral Cup and Aintree could beckon for Kayf Moss after his surprise victory in the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell on Sunday for trainer John Flint and his jockey son Rhys. “We’re only a small stable but it shows if you can get the ammunition you can compete with the big boys,” said Flint senior.

“This horse was someone’s cast-off. He came to us and we can give them one-to-one. If a horse is happy he will keep running for you.”

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Brian Hughes, the Yorkshire jump jockey enjoying a career best season, will be on a special Cheltenham preview panel that will take place at Doncaster on Saturday following the William Hill Grimthorpe Chase card.