Stage Star and Paul Nicholls © Photo Healy Racing
Stage Star’s return to Cheltenham will be delayed until next month after connections decided against bidding for back-to-back wins in the Paddy Power Gold Cup this weekend.
Paul Nicholls’ eight-year-old is a three-time winner at Prestbury Park over fences, taking the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Festival in 2023 before returning later that year to lump near top-weight to victory in last year’s renewal of Saturday’s November feature.
Stage Star blew away the cobwebs when fourth in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree last month, but although his trainer’s Ditcheat string has begun to hit top form, the gelding’s team are happy to forego the chance to repeat last year’s Paddy Power Gold Cup heroics.
Instead, the Owners Group-owned chaser is being lined up to contest the December Gold Cup that takes centre stage at Cheltenham next month – a race Nicholls has won a record five times and came within a short head of claiming again with Il Ridoto 12 months ago.
“I think he will go back to Cheltenham for the December Gold Cup instead (of the Paddy Power),” said Dan Downie of the Owners Group.
“He’s all fine and flying since Aintree and you’d hope he will come on for that run as well.”
