Don Cossack set for longer distance at Aintree

Don Cossack is set to be stepped back up to three miles at Liverpool and the Gigginstown Stud team are hoping their star chaser will enjoy better luck there than he had at Cheltenham last week.

The Gordon Elliott-trained horse was Ireland’s major Irish hope for the Ryanair Chase, starting a 5 to 2 favourite to win the race sponsored by his owner, Michael O’Leary.

However he enjoyed a less than trouble-free passage, including when hampered at the second last fence, and had to settle for third behind Uxizandre.

That was Don Cossack’s first defeat in a season which has seen him compete at distances of less than three miles but he will be stepped back up to that trip for Aintree’s Betfred Bowl in less than three weeks’ time.

‘Amazingly well’

“He’s in the two and a half mile (Melling Chase) there as well but three miles at Liverpool is like two and a half at Cheltenham so he’ll more than likely go for the three mile,” said O’Leary’s brother, and bloodstock adviser, Eddie O’Leary.

“You need the rub of the green at Cheltenham and he didn’t get it. He was stopped two or three times and did amazingly well to finish where he did in the end,” he added.

Don Cossack was runner-up to Holywell over three miles at Aintree’s Mildmay course in 2014. He is also currently topweight for the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday, rated 10lb clear of his nearest rivals, Roi Du Mee and Wounded Warrior.

Gigginstown's banner performer at Cheltenham 2015 was the RSA winner Don Poli who is likely to conclude his season at Punchestown but before that the O'Leary novice firepower is likely to be mobilised with Fairyhouse's newly-sponsored Ryanair Gold Cup, formerly the Powers Gold Cup, firmly in mind.

Historic event

A host of entries remain in the historic event although Eddie O’Leary indicated Clarcam could wind up taking his chance in the race despite finishing well out of the money in Cheltenham’s Arkle.

“A few of our novices didn’t really fire over there. I don’t know why: maybe they didn’t travel well. But two and a half miles should suit Clarcam,” he said.

Fairyhouse’s Easter meeting takes place in the same week at Aintree’s Grand National festival and First Lieutenant is in contention to run over the famous fences at Liverpool despite failing to fire in a hurdles race at Thurles on Thursday.

O’Leary added that the dual-Grade One winner Lieutenant Colonel, is a possible for the Aintree Hurdle.

Gigginstown's number one jockey, Bryan Cooper, picked up a series of lengthy suspensions at Cheltenham and will miss the first two days of Fairyhouse's Easter festival as well as Liverpool.

“We’ll try and get the horses to their races first, then worry about jockeys,” said O’Leary.

“I would imagine we will use the best available, and use jockeys we’ve always used like Brian O’Connell and Davy Russell. But it’s too early to say who will ride what.”