MALTA TO RETURN AT CHELTENHAM David Johnson today fired a warning to Cyfor Malta`s rivals in next Saturday`s Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham. He stressed his high-class chaser, unraced since winning the same race two years ago, 'isn`t going there to get beaten'. The Martin Pipe-trained gelding, 8-1 third favourite for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup with Ladbrokes despite his lay-off, has long been aimed at the Pillar. And his owner said: 'This year`s Pillar looks the hottest Gold Cup trial you could get bar the King George VI Chase winner First Gold also lining up. 'But Cyfor Malta isn`t going there to get beaten - he`s unbeaten at Cheltenham and I don`t intend to surrender that record. 'The horse is pretty straight at the moment. He has had a problem with his front leg and we took the vet`s advice and gave him as much time off as he needed. 'We`ve been extremely patient with him and I hope it pays off. For a French-bred at Martin`s yard he`s not got that many miles on the clock.' Other possibles for the 25-furlong Pillar include Marlborough, See More Business and Rince Ri. The last-named is set to travel to England to follow in the hoofprints of Dawn Run, who used this race as a stepping-stone to Gold Cup victory in 1986. Rince Ri, close up when unseating his rider three out in last year`s Gold Cup, won the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown on New Year`s Eve. Trainer Ted Walsh said: 'The intention is to run Rince Ri in the Pillar Property Chase all being well - we`ll see how he works at the weekend. 'I don`t know if he would have been placed in last year`s Gold Cup as it was still three out and you just wouldn`t know. 'The ground is not that important to him but I would say that he prefers some cut and his best form has always been on very soft ground, although he did win the Power Gold Cup on good. 'I couldn`t tell you if he stays further than three miles, but he seems to have come out of the Ericsson OK, although the ground is very frosty here.' Four of the last five Gold Cup winners have run in the Pillar prior to their big-race victory, including 2000 victor Looks Like Trouble who landed the #75,000-added event by a distance.
