Marlborough to face Gold at Sandown

First Gold faces six rivals in tomorrow`s stg#100,000 Tote Gold Trophy Chase at Sandown - the race organised as a replacement for the abandoned Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Francois Doumen`s charge is reported to have come out of his clear-cut success in Aintree`s Martell Cup earlier this month in good heart and makes the trip back across the channel along with three stablemates.

Trainer`s son Thierry will ride the eight-year-old a day after celebrating his 22nd birthday.

But he will face stiff opposition from the likes of Marlborough, who will now miss the following afternoon`s Whitbread Gold Cup in favour of a crack at this prize.

Owner Robert Ogden`s racing manager Barry Simpson said today: 'He is in excellent shape and we are looking forward to seeing just how good he is.

'It`s difficult to say how he would have done in the Whitbread but with his big weight in soft ground it may have been asking a lot of him.'

Kingsmark will represent Ogden in the Whitbread, and he may be joined by the owner`s Ad Hoc.

'Ad Hoc remains a possible runner but we will need to discuss the situation with Paul Nicholls,' said Simpson, who also revealed that Marlborough is unlikely to be declared for the Whitbread as a precaution.

'We won`t be leaving him in the race as although we would like too it is always a dangerous situation with top-weights.

'If Beau was top-weight then we would probably declare him but if we left Marlborough in, people might think that we were doing it just to leave Kingsmark on a low weight which wouldn`t be the case.'

Those facing First Gold and Marlborough tomorrow include Eau de Cologne, another who has been switched from the Whitbread and who faces his stiffest task to date.

'He`s in tremendous form, probably the best form he`s been in all season - and looking at the strength of the opposition, it`s a good job!' trainer Lydia Richards said of Eau de Cologne.

Richard Phillips runs Go Ballistic, who has been off the course since finishing down the field behind First Gold in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

'Obviously he`s something of an old warrior these days,' said the trainer.

'It is hard to get him to the racecourse and he has more than his share of problems, bless him, but he certainly looks very well and we will see if he is still good enough to win a race like this.'

The field is completed by Bellator, Frantic Tan and General Wolfe.