Sackville faces only three on return

Leading Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup fancy Sackville will face only three rivals when he makes his eagerly awaited reappearance at Punchestown tomorrow.

The eight-year-old is due to line up in the Dunstown Wood Steeplechase over two miles.

Sackville, trained by Frances Crowley, would have been a contender for the Cheltenham showpiece this year but the meeting was lost to the foot and mouth outbreak.

He was regarded as last season`s leading novice and notched an impressive sequence of seven consecutive wins, including two in the space of just four days at Fairyhouse and Leopardstown in April.

And the Satco gelding took the Grade One Powers Gold Cup under David Casey at Fairyhouse over two and a half miles on May 5th, his first outing of the new campaign.

That race attracted special interest because Sackville beat Limestone Lad by three and a half lengths -and the pair were due to meet on the Flat at Navan today until Crowley pulled her horse out of the clash.

Crowley saidtoday: 'He`s in great form but he might take a few races to get fully on form.

'He should win tomorrow, in theory, but we are not worried about whether he wins. We just hope he gets round safely. He should run well but he`s had six months off.'

She confirmed that Sackville would be targeted at the Cheltenham Gold Cup but added that she would take stock during his next few races before looking at the matter seriously.

'We will aim at Cheltenham but will see what happens first,' she said.

Sackville runs in the Punchestown race on the back of some encouraging schooling at Gowran Park at the weekend, she added.

'He came out of it well. He schooled well and has come on for that,' said Crowley.

The three horses due to take on Sackville at Punchestown are Alcapone, trained by Mouse Morris, Grimes, from the Christy Roche yard, and Zayta, who is the representative of Jessica Harrington.

Sackville is currently quoted by the Tote as 12-1 second favourite for the Gold Cup behind Francois Doumen`s First Gold, who is the 9-2 market leader.

Tote betting: 9-2 First Gold, 12-1 Sackville, 14-1 Marlborough, 16-1 Ad Hoc, Best Mate, Kotkijet, 20-1 Legal Right, Gingembre, Looks Like Trouble, Lord Noelie, See More Business, Shotgun Willy, 25-1 bar.