Irish handler Noel Meade is considering a tilt at the £160,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup for multiple Grade One-winning chaser Realt Dubh, after the nine-year-old was not declared for tomorrow's JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal.
The son of Beneficial was one of the leading novice chasers during the 2010/11 season, annexing three Grade One contests in Ireland and finishing a respectable third to Captain Chris in the Racing Post Arkle Chase at The Festival.
Derek Sharkey's gelding also finished runner-up to Sizing Europe in the two-mile Champion Chase at Punchestown in April, 2012, but was not able to run at any of the spring festivals last season after picking up an injury in the Grade Two paddypower.com Chase at Naas in February.
Meade reported: "Realt Dubh is in good form and is certainly a possible runner in the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but we will just see how things are looking when the weights come out.
"He had an OK campaign last season, but it was just a shame he didn't get to finish it out. He picked up a knock and I suppose it happened when he made a bad mistake at the last in Naas, but hopefully he will find his form again.
"He is in at Thurles (John Meagher Memorial Chase, November 7) next week and we will see what is going to turn up, but I would say he will probably start there.
"We are on the back foot a bit with him now. He is a bit older and is not going to be improving, so we have to lower out sights a little bit. I think two and a half miles is his optimum trip. We have tried him over three miles once, but we found it was just a little bit too far for him."
Realt Dubh is a 14/1 chance with the sponsor to become only the second Irish-trained winner of the Grade Three Paddy Power Gold Cup since Bright Highway triumphed for Michael O'Brien in 1980. Tranquil Sea has been the only winner trained across the Irish Sea during that period, justifying favouritism for Edward O'Grady in 2009.
Weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, run on Saturday, November 16, are revealed on Wednesday, November 6.
About The Open
The Open is a prestigious and historic three-day meeting at Cheltenham Racecourse, which signals that the new Jump season is in full swing. There is record prize money of £743,000 in 2013, with the feature Paddy Power Gold Cup worth £160,000.
Staged on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 15, 16 & 17. The Open is the second highest-profile meeting at the home of Jump racing, following The Festival in March and a huge event in its own right.
The Open provides thrilling competition between many of the best Jump horses in Europe, with crowds of around 70,000 over the three days.
It is regarded by many as the biggest and most important meeting of the first half of the Jump season - a weekend of entertainment, sport and fun not to be missed, including many trade stands in The Open shopping village.
Please find more details at www.cheltenham.co.uk and through Twitter (@CheltenhamRaces) and Facebook www.facebook.com/thehomeofjumpracing
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