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Captain sets sights on Punchestown

Sun 20th Mar 2011, 13:32

Impressive Arkle winner Captain Chris is likely to be next seen at the Punchestown Festival, rather than Aintree.

Philip Hobbs' chaser has tended to jump right over fences, although it did not stop him winning at left-handed Cheltenham.

Even though Arkle winners have such a good record in the following year's Queen Mother Champion Chase, Hobbs hopes he will develop into a Gold Cup horse in the future.

"He will run again, but I'm just struggling as to where as he'd rather go right-handed, although he coped going left at Cheltenham," said Hobbs.

"I think we are probably going to have to wait for Punchestown.

"There's a valuable novice chase there, again over two miles.

"I'd rather go over two and a half, but he's obviously very capable at two - he tends to get a little bit outpaced and then run on strongly.

"We'd be hoping at the moment he'll develop into a Gold Cup horse. The way he ran we are thinking of the King George at Kempton, too, as right-handed tracks suit him well.

"He might start off in something like the Haldon Gold Cup (Exeter) next year but let's get this season out of the way first," the English handler told At The Races.