Mouse Morris yesterday gave Boss Doyle the go-ahead to run in Saturday's Whitbread Gold Cup. He reported the gelding in "terrific form" after pulling muscles when last seen out in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February.

And the Tipperary trainer is hoping for a bold show in a race which his Cahervillahow was controversially demoted to second after passing the post first in 1991.

Boss Doyle is quoted at 10 to 1 for the Whitbread, in which he is set to carry 11st 2lb, by Ladbrokes.

After mulling over his options, Morris said: "He will run and Shay Barry will ride him.

"The ground is a big factor - they say that at worst it will be good at Sandown and that is what he wants.

"I would have preferred him to have under 11st. But 2lb isn't going to stop him."

Boss Doyle has failed to win this season but Morris said: "His first two races this season were good and he ran a good race in the Hennessy at Newbury under a big weight.

"Then we had a bit of a bug in the yard and last time at Leopardstown he pulled muscles in his back.

"He's been off since but he seems in terrific form. He has had a couple of racecourse schools and jumped super."

Bobbyjo, at 7 to 2, is the only horse quoted at shorter than 8 to 1 by Ladbrokes and Morris admitted that the open nature of the race had tempted him to run.

"It will be a very hard race to win and you would be worried about all of them but there is nothing in the race that you could say will definitely win," he said.

But he denied he is out for "revenge" after the demotion of Cahervillahow eight years ago. "That is history now," he said.

Richard Dunwoody will ride Nahthen Lad in the Whitbread as Jenny Pitman bids to capture the last big race in which she will saddle a runner before her retirement at the end of the National Hunt season.

Dunwoody has ridden the 10-year-old on three of his five outings this season, but chose instead to take the mount aboard Call It A Day in the Martell Grand National.

However, his agent Robert Parsons confirmed: "Nahthen Lad really likes Sandown and he travelled well throughout the National.

"Jenny's really pleased with him and Richard ought to get a great ride."

Fast-ground specialist Baronet (Richard Johnson) lengthened a point from 7 to 1 to 8 to 1 by William Hill, who do not share Mouse Morris's optimism about the ground not turning soft by Saturday.