Sir Des Champs pointed for future options at Cheltenham and Leopardstown
The extension of eight winning feat to nine of the seven-year-old bay gelding, Sir Des Champs, was smashed by the evening’s favourite of the Grade 1 John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase, Flemenstar. The Peter Casey trained defeated Sir Des Champs by five
lengths while riding with jockey, A. E. Lynch.
The seven-year-old then failed to bounce back in the very next option that came in the form of the Grade 1 Lexus Chase. He ended fourth on 28th December, 2012 at Leopardstown over three miles. The race was taken away by the Paul Nicholls’ trained,
Tidal Bay, while the favourite entry, Flemenstar, ended third.
Despite two failures, the connections are hopeful about his performance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Willie Mullins’ trained is set for the February Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown before he contests in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The connections want their highly envied under charge to get back into his winning routine and are hoping that the Hennessy
will give him just that chance.
"All going well, he'll go for the Hennessy next. Let's just hope all goes well in the meantime. After the way he ran (in the Lexus), hopefully at this stage he still has a chance in the Gold Cup, if we can sort his jumping out."
The partner in the racing field, Davy Russell, also has hopes high about the mount who has rarely disappointed.
"It was a good race and we went a good, honest pace the whole way. It was a good trial for what we'll be looking forward to in March.”
"He has a lot of stamina and, in hindsight, over the first three fences I maybe should have been a little bit closer.”
The last race that he won was the Grade 1 Growise Champion Novice Chase on 24th April, 2012 at Punchestown over three miles and a furlong. The favourite entry defeated Shop Dj by staggering thirty-six lengths.
The awaiting competition in both the trips cannot be underestimated and to bring that down, the connections will need to make sure that he has practiced enough not to fail for a straight third time.
He will need to look out for the trainer Paul Nicholls’ and Nicky Henderson’s entries.
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