Ground Conditions Put Paid to Jagwar ´ S Cheltenham Bid
Ante-post Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase favourite Jagwar has been dismissed of Saturday's Cheltenham masterpiece, being declared a non-runner due to ground conditions.
The distinguished early-season contest had actually been a long-held strategy for the training team Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero given that landing the Plate with ease at the Cheltenham Festival, and although positive ahead of the race the group will need to hold back running their JP McManus-owned gelding.
He was due to carry top-weight around Cheltenham and with the ground rapidly weakening 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 Cheltenham at the close of racing on Friday (David Davies for The Jockey Club)
"It is since of the method the ground has actually gone, it was going to be very tough for him so we have actually chosen with Oliver and Josh that we'll wait on another day," said Frank Berry, racing manager to McManus.
"It's a pity to miss the race, however it the very best thing for the horse. It's no huge deal and he was ready to run, it's just the ground has actually gone for him.
"We'll be taking a look at all the alternative races for him now as he is effectively and was all set to go."
Alan King, a fitness instructor who 10 years ago struck with Annacotty, runs Es Perfecto in the very same colours - a gelding who finished only 9 lengths behind Caldwell Potter when 5th at the Cheltenham Festival.
"This has actually been his target for some time and his preparation has actually worked out. I enjoy enough with him," said King.
Trainer Alan King is looking for another Paddy Power Gold Cup win (David Davies/PA)
"He ran effectively at the Festival - he only got run out of the locations in the last 50 yards.
"He's all set to begin back and we'll see how we go."
Paul Nicholls may be without the aforementioned Caldwell Potter, however can call on protecting champion 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 fine type and Vincenzo is entrusted with striking while the iron is hot after some constant performances last term.
Vincenzo represents the Sam Thomas (Andrew Matthews/PA)
"He put in some fantastic races last season and I 'd rather discover where we remain in a leading race than a common race," stated Thomas.
"And if he wins or runs well, we have those two-and-a-half-mile (races) at Cheltenham every conference near enough, so that would the apparent 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 former of De Bromhead's duo has won his last 3 over the bigger challenges and arrives on the back of a well-defined Listed success at Killarney for Darragh O'Keeffe, while Theatre Native will have the support of champion jockey Sean Bowen.
Showing up Easy and Jordan Gainford take Listed honours in the O'Donoghue Ring Collection Handicap Chase Henry de Bromhead can do no wrong pic.twitter.com/g99UcNmj7K
- KillarneyRaces (@KillarneyRaces) August 23, 2025
De Bromhead said: "They are two great horses, and both are in excellent kind.
"Coming Up Easy has won his last 3 and did it perfectly at Killarney the last day.
"Theatre Native won well around there in 2015 and she had actually a good very first run back in Limerick, so ideally she will step forward from that.
"We were thrilled to get Sean to ride Theatre Native and we have 2 jockeys in kind which is great."
Bad gets here in top kind (Nigel French/PA)
The remainder of the field is comprised 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 expert or not. I think he's a different horse to the one I trained a number of years earlier," stated Pauling.
"He ran extremely well in the Boodles (Fred Winter). I know he was almost favourite and ended up being beaten 10 lengths but he struck the front plenty soon enough that day.
"We will learn however if he's flexible enough to manage any track, he's going there in very great order and he need to be competitive."