GORDON ELLIOTT HAS reluctantly withdrawn Jessies Dream from Sunday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown after the horse failed to “sparkle” on the gallops today.
The nine-year-old has not been seen since finishing a neck off Bostons Angel in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham last season, and Elliott conceded today that he may not run at all this season.
The news comes as a blow to connections who had hoped to send the horse to challenge Long Run and Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup next month.
“Following a very disappointing display in his last piece of work before the Hennessy Jessies Dream will not run in Leopardstown on Sunday,” Elliott wrote in his Betfair blog this afternoon.
He was in great form and schooled really well but today there was no sparkle so at this stage, with time against us, I’m not sure he will make the track at all this season.
Writing before today’s setback, Elliott said yesterday that “we wanted to take our time making the decision just to make sure everything was right and that’s the case now.”
Odds on all of the main contenders for Sunday’s three-mile chase shortened following this afternoon’s news. Willie Mullins’ Quel Esprit heads the ante-post market for the €92,000 top prize at odds of 2/1, with Colm Murphy’s Quito de la Roque contesting joint-favouritism at 9/4.
Jonjo O’Neill’s Synchronised, winner of the Grade 1 Lexus Chase over course and distance at Christmas, is currently priced at 3/1 with the rest of the nine runners at 6/1 or higher.
