Davy Russell seeks ‘step forward’ from Lord Windermere in Hennessy Gold Cup

Gold Cup hero Lord Windermere is on course to have his final outing before the defence of his Cheltenham crown in Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown, where he will face eight possible rivals.

This season has been all about another trip to the Cotswolds for Jim Culloty’s stable star, who will be gunning for a third successive win at the Festival having also been successful in the 2013 RSA Chase.

He made a pleasing return to action in the two-and-a-half-mile John Durkan which meant connections approached the Lexus over Christmas with confidence, but he was only seventh and his jockey Davy Russell hopes that was just a blip.