Gift Set For Warwick Outing Iris´s Gift may have his last race in novice company at Warwick on Saturday before taking on the 'big boys' at Cheltenham later this month. Should all go well in the totepool 'A Better Way To Bet' Novices´ Chase, Jonjo O´Neill´s nine-year-old could turn out again two weeks later in the Letheby & Christopher Cotswold Chase on January 28. 'The plan is to go to Warwick on Saturday and the ground as it is at present (soft, good to soft in places) should do nicely,' said owner Robert Lester. 'I would imagine if we come through unscathed on Saturday we´ll go for the old Pillar Chase taking on the likes of Monkerhostin and Ollie Magern. 'We´re definitely not in the World Hurdle. The entries went in at midday and he wasn´t put in it. 'Both and Jonjo and I have said if he goes back over hurdles it would ruin the horse. 'Our feelings are you´ve got the Royal & SunAlliance Chase or the Cheltenham Gold Cup and you may as well go for the Gold Cup over a similar trip. 'We´ll find out a lot more on Saturday. Hopefully he´ll put in a clear round then a fortnight later we´d be in with the big boys and we´ll see how we get on - fingers crossed.'(C) PA Sport
