DUAL Ryanair Chase winner Albertas Run might not bid to join the likes of Arkle and Istabraq as a three-time winner of the same race at the Cheltenham Festival - because he could contest the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup instead.
Owned byTrevor Hemmings, the Jonjo O'Neill-trained star is a general 10-1 chance for the Ryanair, but as big as 66-1 for the Gold Cup with Victor Chandler.
A leg injury has kept him off the track since October, when he landed the Old RoanChase at Aintree, but the results of scans have pleased O'Neill, who said on Saturday he could run the classy 11-year-old in the Betfair Ascot Chase on February 18.
Albertas Run, who won what is now the RSA Chase at the 2008 festival, finished ninth of 16 in the following year's Gold Cup, and O'Neill revealed: "The scans have all come back good.
"We can now kick on with him with a view to either running at Ascot next month or going straight to Cheltenham for another crack at the Ryanair, or the Gold Cup, for which he has been entered."
Think the Racing Post are making more out of this than Trevor Hemmings has said.
I think everyone expected him to have a Gold Cup entry, it has been the same the last two years. The Gold Cup looks an easier race to get placed in this year than the last couple of years, but I don't know why you would turn down the chance of a third straight win at the Festival.
100/1 on here suggests he is Ryanair bound, and I'd imagine the Gold Cup entry is only precautionary incase Long Run or Kauto have a setback.
Also, good to hear the old guy is back on the road to recovery.
Plus AP would presumably be claimed for Synchronised and he certainly gets the best out of Albertas.
AR is one of my favourite horses but I fear he's too old for a serious tilt at the Gold Cup. It's a shame they didn't go for it a couple of years ago when he probably had a decent chance (though connections were vindicated by winning the Ryanair!).
Plus AP would presumably be claimed for Synchronised and he certainly gets the best out of Albertas.AR is one of my favourite horses but I fear he's too old for a serious tilt at the Gold Cup. It's a shame they didn't go for it a couple of years ago