Neptune Bids For Guinness Gold

Neptune Collonges is on course to bid for back-to-back victories in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup later this month.

The Paul Nicholls-trained grey, warmed up for another possible lucrative trip to Ireland by finishing a creditable third behind stablemates Denman and Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

"Neptune Collonges definitely goes to Punchestown," said Nicholls. "He´s in fine form at home and, since Cheltenham, the Guinness Gold Cup has been his target. He ran a great race in the Gold Cup and I was very, very pleased with him."

Opposition in the 275,000 contest could include the locally-trained Kicking King, winner of both the Cheltenham and Punchestown Gold Cups in 2005.

Kicking King came through a workout this morning to the delight of his trainer Tom Taaffe.

"Kicking King worked this morning, looks great and is very well at the moment," said Taaffe.

"He is on course for Punchestown. Everything we´ve entered is on course for Punchestown and I´d envisage having a larger team than normal at the Festival this year."

The Michael Hourigan-trained Mossbank, who finished second to Our Vic in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham, is likely to be joined in the Guinness Gold Cup by stablemates Hi Cloy and Beef Or Salmon, who is set to retire after the race.

"Hopefully, all three will run," said Hourigan. "Ground and weather permitting, Beef Or Salmon will go there and retire. We thought that it would be a good place to retire him and wouldn´t it be mighty if he went out on a high note.

"He needs to retire at a place where he´ll be recognised and he´s won that race before. We spoke about retiring him after the Irish Grand National - it was a big ask under top-weight but I never saw him jump so well.

"I rang the owners and told them to discuss it between themselves about going to Punchestown and they were keen for him to go out there. We won´t risk him on quick ground but we´d be hoping that it will come up right for him.

"The other two are on target. We´ll see how Hi Cloy is in the next week after Aintree. He ran a cracker there and jumped from fence to fence. He never touched a twig.

"Mossbank is fine. He ran well at Cheltenham and the form is standing up with Our Vic winning at Aintree. The trip just might not have been far enough for him in the Ryanair Chase."

(C) PA Sport