Gift set for Warwick outing

Iris’s Gift may have his last race in novice company at Warwick on Saturday before taking on the “big boys” at Cheltenham later this month.

Should all go well in the totepool “A Better Way To Bet” Novices’ Chase, the nine-year-old grey could turn out again two weeks later in the Letheby & Christopher Cotswold Chase on January 28.

Iris’s Gift, trained by Jonjo O’Neill, looked a top-class recruit when winning his first three novice events in the autumn.

Although beaten on his latest start by subsequent Feltham Chase winner Darkness at Newbury in November, he was not found not to be quite right afterwards.

He schooled after racing at Haydock last Saturday but it did not go to plan as he fell at the ninth fence.

Connections still hope the 2004 Stayers’ Hurdle winner proves good enough for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is 20-1 with the sponsors, and they have ruled out a return to the smaller obstacles.

“The plan is to go to Warwick on Saturday and the ground as it is at present (soft, good to soft in places) should do nicely,” said owner Robert Lester.

“I would imagine if we come through unscathed on Saturday we’ll go for the old Pillar Chase taking on the likes of Monkerhostin and Ollie Magern.

“I’ve not been to Warwick before so it will be a first for me.

“We’re definitely not in the World Hurdle. The entries went in at midday and he wasn’t put in it.

“Both and Jonjo and I have said if he goes back over hurdles it would ruin the horse.

“We have to stick to this route. He’s only been on the deck once in his life and that was in the racecourse gallop last Saturday. He’s put a few hairy jumps in, but who doesn’t?

“The eight fences he jumped at Haydock before he tipped up were the best he’d ever jumped. Hopefully he’ll learn from that.

“Our feelings are you’ve got the Royal & SunAlliance Chase or the Gold Cup and you may as well go for the Gold Cup over a similar trip.

“We’ll find out a lot more on Saturday. Hopefully he’ll put in a clear round then a fortnight later we’d be in with the big boys and we’ll see how we get on - fingers crossed.”