Two more for Crowley ace before festival

Exciting Irish novice Nil Desperandum will have two more starts before launching his attack on Cheltenham’s Royal & SunAlliance Chase in March.

Trainer Francis Crowley’s gelding has scored on his two outings over fences to date and will try three miles for the first time at the end of the month.

“The plan is to run him at Naas on the 24th in a novice chase,” Crowley said today. “He’ll then go for the Dr P.J Moriarty at Leopardstown next month (February 8) before heading to Cheltenham.”

“I think he likes nice soft ground but it doesn’t really matter either way. As long as it is not rock-hard ground he will act on it.”

The son of Un Desperado scooted home by 14 lengths on his latest start at Fairyhouse, having previously beaten Central House by a short-head at Punchestown.

His victim that day franked the form by going on to take the Grade One Denny Gold Medal Novice Chase on Boxing Day.

Nil Desperandum was due to clash with Pizarro, who was pulled up in the Fairyhouse race, at Leopardstown on December 28 but he suffered a cut in winning at Punchestown and was forced to miss that particular engagement.

“The form of his Punchestown race is working out very well,” the handler added. “He seems even better this year and the extra time seems to have done him a lot of good.”

Nil Desperandum is 6-1 second-favourite behind 5-2 market leader Therealbandit for the SunAlliance with Ladbrokes.