Pike sole overseas challenger

Paris Pike will be the only overseas challenger for the £74,750 Grade Two 299E Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown on Friday week.

The Ferdy Murphy-trained gelding is one of 14 preliminary entries for the three miles test which also include, fellow English trainer, Mary Reveley`s Sleeping Night who, however, will be an absentee.

Francois Doumen`s First Gold and the Willie Mullins trained Florida Pearl figure in the list but they are due to head for the Pertemps King George V1 Chase at Kempton, weather permitting. Mullins however plans to run Alexander Banquet in the Leopardstown race.

Murphy is delighted with the way Paris Pike came out of his seasonal return when runner-up to Weaver George at Kelso earlier this month, and he said: 'He is is very good form, bucking and kicking and I could not be happier with him.

'He will go over on Boxing Day with Granit D`Estruval who runs in the Paddy Power Chase on the day before the Ericsson. He is in good form too and Adrian (Maguire) of course will ride both.'

Sleeping Night ran a cracker when second best to Sackville in the Peterhouse Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby, but then ran below expectations in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

Mrs Reveley`s son Keith said: 'He won`t go to Ireland, he is all right, but we are going to give him a bit more time. He is not in at Wetherby and we don`t have any firm plans for him at the moment.'