Sport

Teeton Mill in fine form

Teeton Mill was given a clean bill of health yesterday after his comeback win in the Mitsubishi Shogun Ascot Chase

Mon Feb 22 1999 - 00:00

Teeton Mill was given a clean bill of health yesterday after his comeback win in the Mitsubishi Shogun Ascot Chase. Venetia Williams is happy with the condition of her grey, 5 to 2 favourite with Coral for the Cheltenham Gold Cup after his four-length defeat of Senor El Betrutti.

She reckoned that Saturday's performance was the perfect answer to reports that the gelding had been suffering from ill health since winning the King George VI Chase at Kempton at Christmas. "He's absolutely fine this morning, looks a picture and obviously Cheltenham is the next stop," the trainer said. "It just goes to show that all the rumours about him were blown out of all proportion and simply wrong."

Saturday's Grade One contest was two and a half miles, the shortest trip Teeton Mill had tackled since his debut under rules in 1997.

"He had shown all his form over three miles so to win Saturday's race the way he did was very good and it was a pleasure to see him show that sort of form over the shorter distance," Williams added.

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Other Gold Cup news is that Timmy Murphy has been confirmed as part of Paul Nicholls's Gold Cup team. Deposed as the trainer's stable-jockey earlier this season, he has been handed the mount on Earthmover.

His successor Joe Tizzard will partner Double Thriller, if that horse comes through his warm-up race at Wincanton on Thursday, with Mick Fitzgerald booked for See More Business - on whom Murphy was carried out last year.

Martin Pipe has refused to rule Unsinkable Boxer out of Gold Cup contention despite the gelding's unimpressive display at Warwick on Saturday. Unsinkable Boxer made a couple of alarming errors in the Michael Page Legal Novices' Chase before holding off the renewed challenge of Spendid by a fast-diminishing head.

"He's still on target for Cheltenham but for which race I don't really know as he's in the Gold Cup, the SunAlliance Chase and the Stayers' Hurdle, the trainer said.

When asked if Unsinkable Boxer had the necessary qualities for the Gold Cup, Pipe commented: "As I've said, he's in three races but I must admit I was pleased with the way he jumped yesterday when they were actually travelling at racing pace as that is what he needs."