Ground Conditions Put Paid to Jagwar ´ S Cheltenham Bid
Ante-post Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase favourite Jagwar has actually been eliminated of Saturday's Cheltenham showpiece, being stated a non-runner due to ground conditions.
The distinguished early-season contest had been a long-held prepare for the training team Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero considering that landing the Plate with ease at the Cheltenham Festival, and although positive ahead of the race the group will need to hold off running their JP McManus-owned gelding.
He was because of bring top-weight around Cheltenham and with the ground rapidly deteriorating on Friday due to unrelenting rain, connections have decided to keep their powder dry with the six-year-old.
It was a dismal scene at at the close of racing on Friday (David Davies for The Jockey Club)
"It is since of the way the ground has gone, it was going to be extremely hard for him so we've chosen with Oliver and Josh that we'll wait for another day," stated Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus.
"It's a pity to miss out on the race, however it the very best thing for the horse. It's no big offer and he was all set to run, it's simply the ground has gone for him.
"We'll be looking at all the alternative races for him now as he is extremely well and was ready to go."
Alan King, a fitness instructor who ten years ago struck with Annacotty, runs Es Perfecto in the very same colours - a gelding who ended up only 9 lengths behind Caldwell Potter when 5th at the Cheltenham Festival.
"This has actually been his target for a long time and his preparation has actually gone well. I enjoy enough with him," said King.
Trainer Alan King is seeking another Paddy Power Gold Cup win (David Davies/PA)
"He ran extremely well at the Festival - he just got run out of the places in the last 50 yards.
"He's all set to draw back and we'll see how we go."
Paul Nicholls might be without the aforementioned Caldwell Potter, but can contact safeguarding champ Il Ridoto looking for a fifth win in the race, while Dan Skelton will saddle Panic Attack, Hoe Joly Smoke and Newton Abbot winner Riskintheground.
Meanwhile, Sam Thomas has his string in great type and Vincenzo is entrusted with striking while the iron is hot after some consistent efficiencies last term.
Vincenzo represents the in-form Sam Thomas (Andrew Matthews/PA)
"He put in some great races last season and I 'd rather discover where we are in a leading race than an ordinary race," said Thomas.
"And if he wins or runs well, we have those two-and-a-half-mile (races) at Cheltenham every meeting near enough, so that would the obvious thing to do with him."
There is a strong Irish hand with Gavin Cromwell bringing over both Thecompanysergeant and The Other Mozzie, Paul Nolan runs Conyers Hill and Henry de Bromhead is double-handed with Showing up Easy and Theatre Native.
The previous of De Bromhead's duo has actually won his last 3 over the bigger barriers and arrives on the back of a specific Listed success at Killarney for Darragh O'Keeffe, while Theatre Native will have the support of champion jockey Sean Bowen.
Coming Up Easy and Jordan Gainford take Listed honours in the O'Donoghue Ring Collection Handicap Chase Henry de Bromhead can do no incorrect pic.twitter.com/g99UcNmj7K
- KillarneyRaces (@KillarneyRaces) August 23, 2025
De Bromhead said: "They are 2 nice horses, and both remain in great type.
"Showing up Easy has won his last three and did it perfectly at Killarney the last day.
"Theatre Native won well around there last year and she had actually a nice first run back in Limerick, so hopefully she will step forward from that.
"We were pleased to get Sean to ride Theatre Native and we have 2 jockeys in kind which is fantastic."
Bad arrives in leading type (Nigel French/PA)
The rest of the field is made up of Venetia Williams' Hunter Legend, Gary and Josh Moore's Issar d'Airy and Ben Pauling's Bad, who tuned up for this with a win at Kempton last month.
"We'll discover if he's just a Kempton professional or not. I believe he's a different horse to the one I trained a number of years ago," stated Pauling.
"He ran extremely well in the Boodles (Fred Winter). I know he was nearly preferred and ended up being beaten 10 lengths but he struck the front plenty quickly enough that day.
"We will find out however if he's flexible enough to handle any track, he's going there in extremely great order and he need to be competitive."