GordonElliott

To kick off my new Betfair blog, here's an update on some of the big names in our yard.

Jessies Dream:

He's back in full work and in very good form. He'll probably only have one run (in January) before the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I'm not sure where it's going to be just yet, or whether it'll be over hurdles or fences but he'll go to Cheltenham and then back to Punchestown.

He ran a really good race in the RSA Chase at last season's Cheltenham Festival, where he might have been a little unlucky as he ran bit keen and he was beaten just a neck. Whether he's Gold Cup class or not, we still have to find out, but he's definitely top class.
Everyone says he's better going right-handed and I'm not going to disagree with them. If he runs well at Cheltenham, then the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown should be ideal for him.

His owner, David Johnson, is a very good man to have in the yard and it was nice to have a winner for him recently (St Killian's Run).

Don Cossack:

Don Cossack is in very good form right now. He had an easy couple of weeks after his bumper win at Naas and he's now going to be aimed at a Grade 2 Bumper at Navan on December 18.

He's only four and he's very big, so we won't be tempted to go over hurdles with him at all this term. He's a scopey sort and there's a lot of improvement in him with a summer's grass, so he could be a really exciting sort for next year.

Cheltenham won't be on his agenda as his owners, Gigginstown House Stud, don't run their horses in the bumper there, and so he will be aimed at the Rockview Bumper at the Curragh. He could be anything.

Mount Benbulben:

He won very well the last day and has come out of the race really well. He's going for the Grade 2 Monksfield Hurdle at Navan next Sunday, the 27th. I'm very happy with him. It was just a very messy race the first day, when he clipped heels and was brought down.

He came out of it just fine and won that race at Thurles since. I think he's even come on again since that victory.

He jumped well at Thurles, except for missing the third last, and he couldn't have done it any easier. The long term plan is Cheltenham, where I'm thinking more of the staying races. He's a horse that will stay two and a half miles plus, and should get three miles in time.

Paul (Carberry) said he did it really well last time, and it was great to get a bit of confidence into him - and us! It's not nice when something like that (clipping heels at Galway) happens to a horse with his profile.

Chicago Grey

You never stop learning training horses, and I put his below-par run at Cheltenham down to the fact that I probably ran him back too quick after his good effort in the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

We're giving him a break and going to freshen him up a bit - he's gone home for a couple of weeks - and we'll bring him back for the Welsh National at Chepstow (December 27), where he should get his ideal conditions.

Cause Of Causes, owned by the Timeform Racing Club:

He's settled in well and looks a fine horse. He's got to be gelded before we go hurdling with him but, all going well, I'd hope that he can make his debut for us sometime in late January or early February.

He had just the one run in France for Pascal Bary, for which he was sent off second favourite behind winner Mourasana, who had previously finished second in a Listed race behind subsequent Prix de l'Arc runner-up Shareta.

He finished sixth of seven that day but he wasn't beaten all that far, and the horse that finished just one place in front of him, Mohawk Chant, was fourth behind subsequent French Derby winner Reliable Man on his previous outing.

The form looks pretty good and, as I said, I don't know a lot about him yet but he looks the right type for this game and I'm really looking forward to getting going with him.

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