Cheltenham Festival 2019: Presenting Percy’s next run up in the air as Cheltenham Gold Cup favourite could head straight to Prestbury Park
The so-called 'peoples horse' could run on Saturday in the BetVictor Bobbyjo Chase
PRESENTING PERCY is rated 50-50 to have a late Cheltenham prep run in Saturday’s BetVictor Bobbyjo Chase.
Despite the Fairyhouse contest coming just 20 days before the Magners Gold Cup owner Philip Reynolds revealed the race is under serious consideration.
Pat Kelly’s star missed last weekend’s Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park due to the ground opening up the prospect of him heading to Cheltenham with just one run - a hurdles win last month - under his belt this season.
Reynolds said: “He’s absolutely terrific – kicking the boards. In great shape.
“We could’ve run him last weekend and we may run him this weekend. Every bit of rain we get helps. I’d say it’s 50-50 whether he’ll run of not.
“I don’t want to say anything negative about the ground in Gowran but it was raced on two-and-a-half weeks earlier and they don’t have an opportunity to move the fences.
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“The ground on that day was probably as bad a ground as we’ve had all year. It had been filled with sand and rolled over.
“We just decided to be ultra-careful.”
Presenting Percy’s Gowran Hurdles win is his only run since bolting up in the RSA Chase at last year’s Cheltenham Festival.
He’s been ante-post favourite for the Gold Cup virtually ever since and now tops Ladbrokes’ betting at 11-4. King George hero Clan Des Obeaux is a 4-1 shot with last year’s Gold Cup winner Native River on 5s.
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If Presenting Percy doesn’t take in what is traditionally a National trial at Fairyhouse on Saturday it will be a most unusual preparation for Cheltenham’s greatest prize. But Kelly is an unusual trainer.
He never gives interviews and owners keen to take advantage of his talents are batted away like Geoff Boycott in his pomp.
It’s the horses at his Co Galway yard that do the talking and Presenting Percy might just get a chance to speak up this weekend. If he doesn’t the silence is likely to prompt questions about his chances of Gold Cup glory with so little recent match practice.
They are questions sure to go unanswered, from his trainer anyway.