Dancer primed for Cheltenham double bid

Paddy Power Gold Cup winner Exotic Dancer is set to bid for a big-race double in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday week.

Jonjo O’Neill’s six-year-old was a shock 16-1 winner at the Open Meeting earlier in the month, powering home by three lengths from Vodka Bleu in the feature event.

Exotic Dancer will now try to supplement that success with victory in the two-mile-five-furlong event, in which he is one of three entries for owner Sir Robert Ogden along with Iris Royal and Calling Brave.

“Exotic Dancer is the horse that has run recently and won recently, so of the three we have entered in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup he’s the one who is most likely to run at this stage,” said Ogden’s racing manager, Barry Simpson.

“He’s in great shape and our intention is to go there with him.

“Iris Royal is entered at Fakenham on Monday. He and Calling Brave haven’t run yet this season.

"They’ll be ready to run by then but I don’t think we’d want to run three in the race.”