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Flow is directed towards Feltham

Racing News round-up: Strong Flow could try to follow up his Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup win at Kempton Park over Christmas

Mon Dec 01 2003 - 00:00

Racing News round-up: Strong Flow could try to follow up his Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup win at Kempton Park over Christmas. The six-year-old is on course for the Pertemps Aviation Resources Feltham Novices' Chase at the Sunbury track on St Stephen's Day.

Trainer Paul Nicholls is planning to drop him back to novice company after his stunning success in the big Newbury handicap on Saturday.

He said: "We have got to keep all our options open at present. But, at the moment, he should run in the Feltham at Christmas and then in the SunAlliance at Cheltenham but of course plans are fluid."

Strong Flow was reported to be "never better" yesterday after what was only his fifth start over fences. Although the Royal & SunAlliance Chase is considered his main Festival target, Nicholls has not completely ruled out a crack at Best Mate in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.

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"You couldn't dismiss the Gold Cup entirely considering the amount of things that can happen between now and then," he added.

Tap Dance City made all the running to win the Japan Cup in style in Tokyo yesterday.

The Japanese-trained six-year-old, ridden by Tetsuzo Sato, romped home by nine lengths from That's The Plenty with the favourite Symboli Kris S a further three-quarters of a length back in third. The sole English raider Islington was only ninth of the 18 runners behind the 12.8-1 winner.

Meanwhile, First Gold finished an encouraging fifth over hurdles on his comeback in the Prix Sens at Auteuil.

Francois Doumen's star won the Martell Cognac Cup at Aintree and the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown in April on his last two visits to the track.

The trainer's son Thierry always had First Gold handily placed in the two-mile-three-furlong contest as firstly Sunny Flight and then Kario de Sormain cut out the running.

Sunny Flight regained the lead with two of the 12 hurdles left to jump and went on to record a convincing victory over Ibycos, with First Gold keeping on at one pace to finish fifth. First Gold remains 5-1 third favourite with Coral for the Pertemps King George VI Chase.