Elliott outlines Festival handicap plans

Gordon Elliott is confident Diamond King will raise his game for the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate at the Cheltenham Festival.

The eight-year-old won the Coral Cup at the showpiece fixture last season and looked an exciting recruit to the novice chasing ranks when bolting up on his debut at Galway in October.

He has since come up short in the Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse and a Grade Two at Limerick on St Stephen's Day, but Elliott feels his charge will show his true colours on his first start in a handicap over fences at Prestbury Park.

"Diamond King is great and on a bit of good ground you'll see a much better horse," said the Cullentra handler.

"He was very good in Galway and just couldn't get out of it in Limerick the last day. I'm looking forward to running him in the two-mile-five handicap."

Diamond King is just one of a whole host of leading chances in the Festival handicaps for Elliott, who currently leads the race to be crowned champion trainer in Ireland.

Discussing some of his other hopes, the trainer added: "Noble Endeavor goes for the Ultima Handicap Chase on the first day.

"Jamie (Codd) said he wasn't beaten in the four miler (National Hunt Chase) last year when he came down and he was only just behind Native River.

"His form round Cheltenham is good. He was second in a Martin Pipe and he was running a massive race last year.

"The Pertemps Final was a race we had in mind for Jury Duty, but when he won in Navan in November he got a nasty cut and we were running out of time to get him qualified.

"That's why we took him to Chepstow the other week and thankfully he's now qualified. He's a horse I'm looking forward to running.

"Automated is going for the Coral Cup. I think the race will suit him as he likes passing horses and he'll like the better ground.

"Cause Of Causes and Bless The Wings will run in the cross-country. Keith Donoghue will ride Bless The Wings and hopefully Jamie will ride Cause Of Causes.

"Tiger Roll goes for the four-miler. He could surprise you any day of the week. You'll know after jumping two fences if it's a going day or an off-day.

"If Jamie doesn't ride him I might let Lisa O'Neill ride him. She's working hard here in the yard and she's a hardy bit of stuff.

"It would be some double, a Triumph Hurdle and a four-miler, from one extreme to the other."