Young Spartacus, who returned from a 14-month lay-off to land the Mildmay Of Flete Handicap Chase at last month's Cheltenham Festival, is set to have his first foray into Grade 1 company at Punchestown next week when lining up for the Punchestown Heineken Gold Cup
Another star chaser also heading across the Irish Sea for the Heineken Gold Cup is Hussard Collonges, trained by Peter Beaumont. The eight-year-old, who blotted his copybook when pulled up in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup, has been taken out of this Saturday's attheraces Gold Cup in preference for Punchestown.
Other probable starters in what promises to be a tremendous race are the outstanding novice Beef Or Salmon, Native Upmanship, who steps up in trip after his brilliant success in Aintree's Martell Melling Chase, and the 1999 Cheltenham Gold Cup hero See More Business, trained by Paul Nicholls.
There were nine millimetres of rain at Punchestown on Monday and, after a dry day on Tuesday, the ground is currently good.
