Gold reported in good shape First Gold, who finished a disappointing fourth when bidding to repeat his 2000 victory in the Pertemps King George VI Chase, has taken the Kempton race well and remains on course for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.The Francois Doumen-trained nine-year-old was sent off the well-backed 6-4 favourite for the Boxing Day highlight but began to struggle from the final bend and came home 32½ lengths behind the winner Florida Pearl.'He`s in good form, there is absolutely no problem with him,' Doumen said today. 'He`s had a bit of a rest because of all the frost we`ve had in France but anyway that`s no problem - I like to give them a quiet time after a race.'That race did a good deal for his preparation for Cheltenham.'He will start his strong training again in the next 10 days but we haven`t made a decision yet where he will run next.'JP McManus bought First Gold after his Kempton victory last year with the aim of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with the gelding, and he was hot favourite for the race until the intervention of foot and mouth disease.Chasing`s blue riband event is one again First Gold`s main target and his training this time has been geared towards March 14th.Doumen explained: 'When he won last year at Kempton it was at the end of his season in France and he had run four times in France before he ran in England.'This time he has changed owner and he`s been bought to target the Gold Cup with no French campaign, so he started only with his hurdle race (third to Historic at Newbury) and you can`t compare the fitness of the horse for Kempton this year to last year.'First Gold is currently a best-priced 12-1 with Coral for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.
