Stewart Expecting Big Run From Le Duc In Paddy Power Gold Cup

Owner Andy Stewart yesterday revealed that Le Duc, who runs in the colours of wife Judy and is trained by Paul Nicholls, is his most likely representative in the £110,000 Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, November 13th 'Basically we entered both Le Duc and Le Roi Miguel because if you´re not in it, you cannot win can you? I think it is more likely that with Le Roi Miguel on a handicap chase rating of 155, we would only run Le Duc in the Paddy Power Gold Cup,' he explained.

'They won´t run against each other. But, obviously, we´ll leave both of them in the race until we´ve got to make a decision just in case something happens to one or the other.'

The last time that Le Duc appeared at Cheltenham, he finished third to Well Chief in the Irish Independent Arkle Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The five-year-old recently made his seasonal reappearance in the totesport Wigan Chase at Aintree on October 24, when coming home 18 and a half lengths adrift of Farmer Jack in fourth.

Stewart believes there were a number of things against his charge at Aintree. He said: 'If you look at Le Duc´s race at Liverpool, he was there or thereabouts and I think the Paddy Power will suit him a lot better.

'We know that he runs well at Cheltenham and it will actually suit him more as at least it will be run with some pace whereas they went off at a bit of a dawdle at Liverpool which was against us.

'The times when Le Duc wins or runs very good races are when there is a very good pace, which he can come off, and he´s never going to win a race by more than a couple of lengths.

'I also think the ground was slightly against Le Duc at Aintree - I´m not so sure that he likes that very soft ground and I think he might have needed the race. When he won the Grade Two novices´ hurdle at Liverpool in 2003, the ground was genuinely good.'

The owner is expecting plenty of improvement from his charge in the Paddy Power Gold Cup. 'We think that Le Duc will run a big race - he´s come out of the Liverpool race very, very well indeed, Ruby Walsh is going to ride him and I can assure you he will be absolutely firing at Cheltenham a week on Saturday,' he enthused.

The weights for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, a handicap chase over two miles, four and half furlongs, are released tomorrow morning (Wednesday, November 3).

The Open (Friday, Saturday & Sunday, November 12-14) meeting at Cheltenham comprises three days which herald the moment when jump racing takes centre stage and people gather to celebrate top quality steeplechasing and hurdle racing.

Each day has its own character and together they form an irresistible package. Horses travel over from Ireland to take on the best of the British while Cheltenham in recent years has welcomed international challengers from France, Norway and the Czech Republic.

Friday, November 12, is Countryside Day and Saturday, November 13, is Paddy Power Gold Cup Day, when the first classic of the season takes place before a crowd of around 25,000, while Sunday, November 14, features the £70,000 Greatwood Hurdle and sporting activities between members of Club 16-24 and the Young Farmers´ Clubs.