Motion has Gold Cup potential, says Lavelle

EMMA LAVELLE, whose yard has hit top gear in recent weeks, thinks she could have a potential successor to Kauto Star and Denman at her base in Andover.

Court In Motion, a five-year-old son of Fruits Of Love, owned by Nick Mustoe, looked like getting off the mark at Exeter last week when jumping the last clear in a novice hurdle, only to lose his footing two strides after landing.

Having returned home none the worse for that experience, Lavelle believes her juvenile, who holds entries in the Neptune Investement Management Novices' Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, could develop into a future Gold Cup contender.

Quoted on her website, Lavelle said: "I ran what I hope is a real superstar in the making at Exeter last week - Court in Motion is the mostbeautiful horse, with a pedigree and ability to match.

"He did everything so well through the race, cruised to the front in the straight and then jumped the last well clear. Two strides after the last he stood on his shoe andmomentum brought him down.

"He just didn't deserve that but he has come out of the race really well and hopefully it will be a small blip on the way to an illustrious career. I really do think that he could be a Gold Cup horse one day - the dream's still alive."

Lavelle has also confirmed that tough mare Easter Legend, second in a Grade 2 at Ascot on her last start, will head to Cheltenham for the David Nicholson Mares Hurdle, for which she is a 20-1 chance with Paddy Power.