Gerri Colombe © Photo Healy Racing
Gordon Elliott has given an indication of running and riding plans for his contenders for next month's Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
The Cullentra handler, successful in last year's renewal with Gerri Colombe, has six of the nine entries for the 150,000euro contest which takes place on November 2 and said: “Gerri Colombe and Conflated (who made an early exit on his reappearance at Punchestown yesterday) will both run and I’ll probably run three or four.
“Gerri Colombe is at a similar stage to last year. He’s in good nick and ready to start but there will be plenty of improvement in him.
“He’s a very unassuming horse who doesn’t show much at home but they’re the ones that you want.
“He was only beaten a couple of lengths in the Gold Cup last season. The best horse won on the day so there was no excuse, but I do think we could have been a bit closer as the loose horse didn’t help us coming down the hill.
“If he improves a bit from last season to this season you never know — we are in the mix.
“He is a very honest horse, he’s not the quickest in the world and he always takes a run to improve but he’s a good horse.
“We’ll need a bit of rain but there is some forecast this week so we should be alright."
American Mike, Delta Work, Found A Fifty and Zanahiyr make up the rest of the Elliott contingent while, in the absence of any entry from Willie Mullins' stable, 2022 winner Envoi Allen, Mahler Mission and Visionarian are the others left in the mix.
Stable jockey Jack Kennedy starts a ten-day suspension on October 24 and Elliott added: "Jack will miss the meeting due to a suspension, but we have the three lads (Sam Ewing, Jordan Gainford and Danny Gilligan) and between them they will ride them all. I’ll speak to the owners and see what they think.
“It’s unfortunate for Jack but the rules are there and he broke them, so that’s the way it is.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
