Jessica Harrington plays waiting game with top staying chasers Sizing John and Our Duke
Jessica Harrington will give Sizing John time to recover from his John Durkan win before deciding on whether he will run over the Christmas period, whilst she also has updates on the injured Our Duke and former Champion Hurdle winner Jezki.
JESSICA HARRINGTON will let time pass following Sizing John's cosy comeback victory at Punchestown on Sunday before considering future plans for her Gold Cup hero.
The seven-year-old survived an early jumping blip to beat Djakadam by seven lengths in the John Murkan Memorial Chase.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £30 BET Stick a tenner on Templegate's tips and get this great offer from Sun Bets
He holds entries in the 32Red King George VI Chase at Kempton Park and the Leopardstown Christmas Chase - formerly the Lexus - over the festive period, but Harrington is not committing to either race just yet.
She said: "I was delighted with him on ground that he hates.
"I was just worried that having had three hard races (last season) did I bottom him out, and Robert (Power) said at Punchestown (in the Gold Cup) that he was a tired horse. But he showed he has all the same zest for it. He even taught Robert a few lessons not to take him for granted and made a mistake!
"Robert was trying all the way down to the last to give him as easy a race as possible, and other than a few slaps down the shoulder he never picked up his stick."
Sizing John was rerouted to Punchestown after sidestepping last month's Betfair Chase at Haydock and while that rules him out of clinching a potential £1million bonus were he to have added the King George and the Gold Cup to victory on Merseyside, Harrington has no regrets.
She added: "I was perfectly happy to go to Haydock on good or good to soft ground, but that race is over more than three miles.
"It was a hard decision to make (not to go). It had been Alan's (Potts, owner) dream to win the bonus and he died just 10 days before. He always said the horse's interests come first and that's what we did in waiting and going to Punchestown.
Templegate's Treble
NEXT BEST 3.50 Wolverhampton - Something Lucky: 'He is really well treated on his best form'
TREBLE 1.35 Lingfield - Kyllachy Gala: 'Looks primed to strike after a drop in grade'
"I haven't made any decision whether he will run at Christmas or not. We'll see how he is and he will tell us whether to go or not. I'd love to run him at Leopardstown, but we'll do whatever is good for the horse.
2 Bet £10 or more on horse racing
3 Sun Bets will stick a £30 bet in your account
That victory marked the seven-year-old down as a genuine Cheltenham Gold Cup contender as the campaign began, but his reputation took a knock when he finished tailed off in last month's JNwine.com Champion Chase.
"Our Duke had an operation on his back, but is back out trotting for the last few weeks. We have to start cantering now because he's getting very fresh," said the Moone-based trainer.
"He looks super and is moving super. I'm not sure when he'll be back, but he'll be back sometime shortly.
"He had kissing spines and also scoped dirty after the race in Down Royal, so I'm not sure whether the pain of one caused the other or what."
Harrington also confirmed to the media, who were welcomed to her yard on Monday morning to launch the 2017 Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, that former Champion Hurdle winner Jezki will step back up to three miles for the remainder of the season, starting with the Squared Financial Christmas Hurdle on December 28.
She said: "Jezki will run in the three-mile Christmas Hurdle and if the ground is good he'll appreciate the step up to three miles again. That's the route we are planning on going with him now this season."