Beacon Edge 'strutting' ahead of Coral Cup

Noel Meade has given an update on his Cheltenham Festival team and has earmaked the Coral Cup for Beacon Edge.

“The Model Kingdom runs (in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle) and Affordale Fury runs, at the moment, in the Albert Bartlett," Meade said.

“Pinkerton runs in the County and Beacon Edge runs in the Coral Cup. There might be another one but that's where we are at the moment.

“We're very happy with Beacon Edge and he's worked well.

“We had him in Navan yesterday and we're very pleased the way he has come back. He's doing his strutting stuff again.

“Fences probably frightened the life out of him to be honest and it just took him a while to get back going again. He seems to be back on track.

“If you go back two years ago when he was fourth to Flooring Porter (in the Grade 1 Stayers' Hurdle), if he could run to that it would throw him in with a good chance in the Coral Cup (over 2m5f).

“He possibly didn't get home that day as coming around the bend he seemed to be going as well, if not better, than Flooring Porter but he just didn't stay home.”

Beacon Edge has been campaigned in Graded company over hurdles this season and posted a third place on his most recent start in the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan last month.

The nine-year-old gelding is a Grade 1 winner over fences and has been victorious at Grade 2 level over flights.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson