Cheltenham is set to turn forty shades of green when a huge Irish contingent arrives for The Open meeting which begins on Friday. Sixty four entries from Irish-based trainers, with around 30 horses set to take part over the three days. The traditional annual trip to Cheltenham had to be scrapped back in March by the foot and mouth alert.
Irish trainer Philip Rothwell indicated that Palouse, who has been allotted a weight of 9st 4lb in Saturday's Thomas Pink Gold Cup, is more likely to run in the £30,000-added Grade Two Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase on Sunday afternoon.
"Palouse won't run in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup if he's 10lb out of the handicap. He'll come over for the two-mile Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase on the Sunday instead. We've been over for the meeting for the last year or two. We'd have let him take his chance in the Thomas Pink if he was around the 10st mark and he finished second in the Gerrard Novices' Hurdle at the meeting last year.
"On his last run he was fourth to Wicked Crack, who has since finished second in the champion chase at Down Royal ahead of Florida Pearl. The form is working out well and Palouse is much better on good ground - it was soft the day that Wicked Crack beat him. I think we'll give anything a run for its money. He jumps very well and if the ground is good, he'll jump fast and they'll go a nice gallop which should be ideal," said the County Wicklow-based handler.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
