Accordion staying at home

French Accordion is unlikely to bid for a four-timer in Ascot’s valuable United House Gold Cup on Saturday.

Paul Nolan’s charge is riding on the crest of a wave at present, having supplemented two wins in handicap company with a four-length success in a Tipperary Grade Three at the start of the month.

However, connections are keen to bide their time with the seven-year-old, who is also set to bypass an alternative engagement in Down Royal’s Killultagh Properties Ltd Chase.

“We’ve decided we might possibly wait with French Accordion and not make the trip to Ascot, as it just might be a bit much to ask him,” explained Nolan.

“He’s won his last three in a row, and he’d be taking on hardened chasers there, so it might be tough for a novice to go travelling there at this stage of his career.

“We’ll make a final decision later but I’d be almost certain he won’t travel over and we might now wait for something here in a couple of weeks time,” he told At The Races.

“He had his problems last year, with his back and with his wind, but he seems to have sorted himself and is jumping very well and enjoying the game at the moment.”

French Accordion is a full-brother to highly-talented stablemate Accordion Etoile, a horse that finished less than four lengths behind Hardy Eustace in the Champion Hurdle of 2005.

Grade One success followed over the bigger obstacles but Nolan was only able to get that gelding to the track on one occasion last season.

“He’s a high-class horse but he’s had his problems these last couple of seasons,” the County Wexford handler admitted.

“He had a slight little setback the last week but we’re hoping he’ll make his seasonal reappearance in two or three weeks’ time.

“At the moment we’re very pleased with him and we’ll just see where we go when he starts working harder again.”