Kelly’s belief in Presenting Percy remains despite big drift in Gold Cup market

THE bookmakers have reacted negatively to Presenting Percy’s slightly underwhelming fifth place finish in the Grade One Savills Chase at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival last Saturday.

Though coming home only four lengths adrift of one of last season’s leading staying novices, Delta Work, the Galway trained eight-year-old has still taken a substantial walk in the ante-post Cheltenham Gold Cup market.

Pat Kelly’s stable star is now available at odds of 16/1 for a race he was sent off as favourite at Prestbury Park last March . . . and, at first glance, it’s an understandable reaction.

Significantly, however, Presenting Percy’s Craughwell-based handler hasn’t lost any faith in one of the most popular horses in training. “He has come out of the race fine. He’s safe and sound thanks be to God.”

Kelly is now considering two options ahead of a return visit to the Cotswolds in March. “He’ll either go for the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown in early February or try to complete the hat-trick in the Galmoy Hurdle in Gowran.”

Having finishing a closing third on Min over a trip well short of his best in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown in early December, it was no surprise that Presenting Percy was a leading fancy to land last Saturday’s €175,000 feature.

But the slow gallop would have conspired against the 7/2 chance and, in those circumstances, some observers were surprised that regular jockey Davy Russell hadn’t ridden him closer to the pace.

At the head of affairs, the in-form Rachael Blackmore and Monalee, a horse Presenting Percy had left trailing in his wake when storming to RSA Chase glory in 2017, dictated a moderate pace which left all the eight-runner field bar the tailed off Anibale Fly still in contention on the approach to the last.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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