Legal Right misses Tripleprint

Jonjo O`Neill has decided to bypass Saturday`s Tripleprint Gold Cup with Legal Right who heads for Haydock instead.

The talented but injury-prone gelding won the Cheltenham race in 1999, slamming Nordance Prince by 22 lengths.

However he was due to carry top-weight of 12 stone in this year`s running of the Stg£100,000 event and O`Neill will instead run Legal Right in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock.

The George Stevens Chase (Showcase Handicap) at Cheltenham 24 hours earlier had also been mooted as a possibility but the conditions of the Haydock race, where Legal Right will actually receive weight from horses like Bobby Grant and Kingsmark, have led to the change of heart.

O`Neill explained: 'We will go for the Tommy Whittle - I just hope we have made the right decision.

'At Cheltenham he could end up having a hard race under a lot of weight and he would have to be really be on fire to go there under those circumstances.'

Legal Right did not run to his best when only fourth to Sackville on his seasonal bow in the Peterhouse Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby last month but as is often the case, he was reported to be 'crippled' after the race.

Legal Right`s absence from the Cheltenham contest leaves Upgrade set to carry top-weight, meaning that the weights will go up by 4lb.

Tony Dobbin has been booked to partner Upgrade by Martin Pipe and it will be his first ride for the champion trainer.

A final decision over Dusk Duel`s participation will be taken tomorrow morning.

The horse to attract the cash in the betting market today was ex-Australian Logician.

Coral, who had offered 9-1, were forced to trim Logician to 8-1 and then to 7-1 after sustained support.

Coral bet: 4-1 Shooting Light, Foly Pleasant, Ilnamar, 9-2 Banker Count, 6-1 Dusk Duel, 7-1 Logician (from 9-1), 14-1 Young Spartacus, Whitenzo, 16-1 Gower-Slave, Irbee, 20-1 Bar.

Tote bet: 4-1 Foly Pleasant (from 9-2), Shooting Light, 9-2 Ilnamar, 11-2 Banker Count, 6-1 Dusk Duel, 8-1 Logician, 14-1 Gower-Slave, 16-1 Irbee, Legal Right, Young Spartacus, 20-1 Bar.

Hills bet: 7-2 Foly Pleasant, Ilnamar, Shooting Light, 5-1 Banker Count, 7-1 Dusk Duel, Logician (from 8-1), 14-1 Gower-Slave (from 20-1), 16-1 Bar.