Gerri Colombe Set to Skip Dublin Racing Festival and Head Straight to Cheltenham Gold Cup

Gordon Elliott’s talented charge, Gerri Colombe, is set to bypass the upcoming Dublin Racing Festival and instead focus on the prestigious Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup. The decision comes after an eventful season for the horse, which saw him narrowly miss out on victory in last year’s Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase by a mere short head.

However, Gerri Colombe quickly bounced back with an impressive Grade One triumph at Aintree. This season started off on a high note as well when he claimed another elite-level win by edging out Envoi Allen in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

The Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas proved challenging for Gerri Colombe as he finished a distant second behind Galopin Des Champs. Despite speculation of a rematch against Willie Mullins’ star performer in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup, connections have decided to wait for Cheltenham instead.

“Gerri Colombe probably won’t run next weekend,” confirmed Elliott. “We’ll go straight to Cheltenham with him. He didn’t perform as expected during Christmas but is currently in good form and can participate in all the spring festivals.”

Elliott also mentioned future plans beyond Cheltenham: “Instead of subjecting him to another demanding race right away, we’ll give him some rest before preparing for Aintree and Punchestown.”

Elliott Faces Challenges Ahead:

In addition to the racing decisions, Elliott has faced some recent setbacks with his horses running under the Caldwell Construction banner of owners Andrew and Gemma Brown. These horses will be sold off next month, impacting the team’s participation in the Dublin Racing Festival.

“Farren Glory, Conflated, and Found A Fifty are still expected to run,” Elliott revealed. “However, we’ll have fewer runners than usual due to some being sold at auction.”