Sizing John, last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, appeared fit and ready for a return to the fray here in County Kildare on Tuesday, two months on from a dismal run in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown which Jessica Harrington, his trainer, still cannot explain. “You all saw how he tanked away [on the gallops],” Harrington said after watching the eight-year-old work with Supasundae, last year’s Coral Cup winner. “All he wanted to do was go past Supasundae.”Sizing John completed a unique treble last season by winning the Gold Cups at Leopardstown in February, Cheltenham the following month and Punchestown in April. He also made a bad mistake two out in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown earlier this month, just as Robbie Power was making significant ground towards the leaders. Supasundae beat Faugheen, the 2015 Champion Hurdle winner, in the two-mile Irish Champion Hurdle last month but Harrington did not waver from her intention to run him over three miles at Cheltenham.

Source: The Guardian February 27, 2018 17:07 UTC