Connections unconcerned by top-weight for Jagwar

Jagwar puts his impeccable Cheltenham record on the line when he heads to the Paddy Power Gold Cup Handicap Chase on Saturday, a race this year run in memory of the late Edward O’Grady.

This prestigious early-season contest has been a long-held-plan for the training team Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero since landing the Plate with ease at the Cheltenham Festival and although lumbered with top-weight and the prospect of testing ground, confidence remains high within the camp.

Guerriero said: “The route sort of panned itself out for us after winning at the Cheltenham Festival and we know he likes it there – loves the trip, loves the track.

“Top-weight is obviously never ideal, but he’s a massive horse and all the others will have to carry a bit more weight as well so it’s no different really. He’ll carry 12st and if it was 11st 7lb or 12st, I don’t think it will make an awful lot of difference to him.

“He’s quite a nice moving horse, so I don’t think he would probably want it heavy. He did win quite an average novice hurdle he was entitled to win on heavy and he’s won on soft and I wouldn’t mind soft, but I would probably prefer it not to be heavy.”

It would be somewhat fitting if the colours of JP McManus could be carried to victory in the race for the first time in the year that it is run in memory of O’Grady, the man who provided the leading owner the first of his now record 84 Cheltenham Festival victories with Mister Donovan.

And Jagwar’s performance on Saturday afternoon could provide crucial clues for all connections about how the season could play out.

“It will definitely tell us how the season will look and will guide us as to whether we go back there for the next handicap in December or look elsewhere,” continued Guerriero.

“He probably needs to win two of those before going into graded company, so after Saturday we will be able to have a rethink about what we do.”

Another fitting winner would be Alan King’s Es Perfecto who 10 years after striking with Annancotty is back with Es Perfecto, who will wear the same colours and was only nine lengths behind Caldwell Potter when fifth at the Cheltenham Festival.

“This has been his target for some time and his preparation has gone well. I’m happy enough with him,” said King.

“He ran very well at the Festival – he only got run out of the places in the last 50 yards.

“He’s ready to start back and we’ll see how we go.”

Paul Nicholls may be without the aforementioned Caldwell Potter, but can call on defending champion Il Ridoto in search of 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 form and Vincenzo is tasked with striking while the iron is hot after some consistent performances last term.

“He put in some great races last season and I’d rather find out where we are in a top 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 Coming Up Easy and Theatre Native.

The former of De Bromhead’s duo has won his last three over the larger obstacles and arrives on the back of a clear-cut Listed success at Killarney for Darragh O’Keeffe, while Theatre Native will have the assistance of champion jockey Sean Bowen.

De Bromhead said: “They are two nice horses, and both are in good form.

“Coming Up Easy has won his last three and did it nicely at Killarney the last day.

“Theatre Native won well around there last year and she’d a nice first run back in Limerick, so hopefully she will step forward from that.

“We were delighted to get Sean to ride Theatre Native and we have two jockeys in form which is great.”

The remainder 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 find out if he’s just a Kempton specialist or not. I think he’s a different horse to the one I trained a couple of years ago,” said Pauling.

“He ran very well in the Boodles (Fred Winter). I know he was nearly favourite and ended up being beaten 10 lengths but he hit the front plenty soon enough that day.

“We will find out but if he’s versatile enough to handle any track, he’s going there in very good order and he should be competitive.”