Nicholls 的s Punchestown Gold Cup with Cheltenham third Neptune Collonges

Trainer Paul Nicholls today 確認するd totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup third Neptune Collonges all 始める，決める to 企て，努力，提案 to land the Grade 1 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup for a second 連続した year.

John Hales' seven-year-old won the three mile and one furlong contest, run this year on Wednesday, April 23, by an impressive three and a half lengths in 2007 and he is on course to try and land the 275,000 euros prize once again.

"Neptune Collonges definitely goes to Punchestown," said Nicholls. "He's in 罰金 form at home and, since Cheltenham, the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup has been his 的. He ran a 広大な／多数の／重要な race in the Gold Cup and I was very, very pleased with him."

His 対立 could 含む the 地元で-trained Kicking King, 勝利者 of both the totesport Cheltenham Gold and Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup in 2005.

Kicking King （機の）カム through a workout this morning, which delighted his trainer Tom Taaffe. "Kicking King worked this morning, looks 広大な／多数の／重要な and is very 井戸／弁護士席 at the moment," said Taaffe. "And he is on course for the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup. Everything we've entered is on course for Punchestown and I'd 想像する 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 Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup by stablemates Hi Cloy and the 10-time Grade 1 勝利者 Beef Or Salmon, who is 始める，決める to retire after the race.

Beef Or Salmon, Ireland's most popular horse of 最近の years, is sure to get a 広大な／多数の／重要な 歓迎会 after the race which he won in 2004.

"Hopefully, all three - Beef Or Salmon, Mossbank and Hi Cloy - will run in the Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup," said Hourigan. "Ground and 天候 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 公式文書，認める.

"He needs to ret 怒らせる at a place where he'll be recognised and he's won that race before. We spoke about retiring him after the Irish Grand 国家の - it was a big ask under 最高の，を越す-負わせる but I never saw him jump so 井戸／弁護士席.

"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 危険 him on quick ground but we'd be hoping that it will come up 権利 for him.

"The other two are on 的. We'll see how Hi Cloy is in the next week after Aintree. He ran a cracker there, jumped from 盗品故買者 to 盗品故買者 - you'd nearly love to have been riding him! He never touched a twig.

"Mossbank is 罰金. He ran 井戸／弁護士席 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."

一方／合間 North Yorkshire trainer Ferdy Murphy 計画（する）s a step up in class for New Alco, who finished 走者-up in the William Hill トロフィー Chase at Cheltenham last month.

"I think New Alco was probably a little bit unlucky to finish second in the William Hill Chase at Cheltenham and he will run in the Guinness Gold Cup on the Wednesday of the Punchestown Festival," said Murphy.

The John Smith's Grand 国家の third, fourth, fifth and sixth, 雪の降る，雪の多い Morning, わずかな／ほっそりした Pickings, Bewleys Berry and Cloudy 小道／航路, are の中で the other 入ること／参加（者）s.