SELECTIONS FOR DAY 2 OF THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL - WEDNESDAY

1:30 (Diamond Jubilee National Hunt Chase)
Blenheim Brook
Four Commanders [e/w bet]

2:05 (Neptune Investment Novices' Hurdle)
Monksland

2:40 (RSA Chase)
Grands Crus

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Grands Crus
Invictus
Bobs Worth

3:20 (Queen Mother Champion Chase)
Sizing Europe (nap)

4:00 (Coral Cup)
Poole Master
Carlito Brigante [e/w bet]

4:40 (Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle)
Royal Bonsai

5:15 (Champion Bumper)
Circular Quay

NICHOLLS WILL CONFIRM KAUTO STAR'S ENTRY FOR THE GOLD CUP SIX-DAYS BEFORE THE RACE

Photo used from flickr, Creative Commons and taken by CharlesFred

What a week it has been for Paul Nicholls and his champion horse Kauto Star.

Racing fans and experts took to Twitter yesterday afternoon to express their fears and thoughts of whether the twelve-year-old will race in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in a few weeks time.

Kauto Star injured himself in a fall last week at his stables in Somerset.

The steeplechaser has become one of the most popular jumps horses in the country so it is no wonder that a lot of people have debated over the incident.

Nicholls told Sky Sports news: "You get a little older and take a little knock and it just takes a little bit to get over it."


"It's getting better each day, so we're still hopeful. We've still got a fortnight."

We will know for sure whether or not Nicholls will enter Kauto Star in the Gold Cup six days before the race (March 10) yet the trainer said his horse will do "his last strong piece of work" and will need to be convincing if he is to be allowed to take part."

But now it has been announced that Grands Crus may race if Kauto is not fit. Even though this may cause disappointment for all racing fans, Long Run versus Grands Crus will still be a fantastic race - even if it's not as thrilling to watch.

Punters and professionals want to see a twelve-year-old steeplechaser give another horse half its age a run for its money. We want to witness the old-dog take on new tricks.

Long Run is a fantastic horse, you don't need me to tell you that. But watching Henderson's horse take on Nicholls' supreme champion is what people are paying to see.

DAVID PIPE TO ANNOUNCE GRANDS CRUS DECISION WEEK BEFORE FESTIVAL

David Pipe will announce whether or not Grands Crus will race in the Gold Cup a week before the race.

Race fans will have to wait a few more weeks to discover if the grey will be up against the heavy-weights in March.

Pipe said today that the ability of his top novice chaser to jump fences at Gold Cup standard is "probably the only issue" that needs to be resolved before a decision is made on whether Grands Crus will race in the Gold Cup or the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival next month.

However, that all-important decision could be left until five days before the RSA Chase on 14 March, as Pipe and the owners will weigh-up the opposition in the two races.

Pipe's guide on Grands Crus:

• We would have liked to go to Newbury  with him, that was the plan, but unfortunately that was the only race they didn't put on.
• He's got enough experience: he's had three runs as I wanted to get some runs into him early because you never know what will happen with the weather.
• He's made one mistake in those three runs.
• He's jumped very well, he's jumped around Cheltenham, and Newbury and Kempton, flat tracks, galloping tracks, and he's obviously a very exciting horse.
• I think it probably shows you how good he is that he finished so close to Big Buck's in the World Hurdle last year. I thought it was a fantastic race, Tom Scudamore gave him a cracking ride and we nearly pulled it off but Big Buck's had something to say.

My Opinion:

I think Pipe should think seriously about entering Grands Crus in the Gold Cup - if he did it would be an even more exciting race to watch. To put another top-class horse in the race would add greater thrill to the mix. The chaser would be in for a high chance too.

GRANDS CRUS TO COMPLETE FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS AT NEWBURY

GRANDS Crus may complete his preparations for the Cheltenham Festival in the Betfair Don't Settle For Less Novices' Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

The grey remains the favourite for the RSA Chase at the Festival next month while connections have not ruled out a possible Gold Cup victory.

David Pipe's horse has started his jumping career superbly and has completed a hat-trick with a fantastic performance at Kempton on Boxing Day 2011.

However, Paul Nicholls' entries may miss Saturday's three-mile race: Join Together and Silviniaco Conti were given the option to race.

Nicholls has said that he wouldn't want the horses to have a hard race against Grands Crus but he also has the Reynoldstown Chase at Ascot as a back-up option.

Other horses in Saturday's race include Loose Performer, Mossley, Our Mick and Penny Max.