Switch to hurdling could be an option for Thunder Rock following dismal December Gold Cup performance

Olly Murphy has said the December Gold Cup favourite Thunder Rock will have one last chance over fences before a possible switch to hurdling after he produced a dismal display in Saturday's feature. 

The seven-year-old was sent off at 3-1 for the £130,000 contest after he beat the subsequent Coral Gold Cup runner-up Mahler Mission at Carlisle last month, but he jumped poorly over the first few fences, failed to find his rhythm and was pulled up by Sean Bowen approaching the fourth-last.

"It was game over after he jumped the second," said Murphy on Sunday. "He made bad mistakes early and Sean said he could have pulled him up after he jumped four or five. He got out of rhythm and that was him cooked. The writing was on the wall very early.

"His runs at Cheltenham probably haven't been as good as everywhere else. The plan is to give him another run over fences, perhaps in calmer waters or in a smaller field. He'll have another chance. If he doesn't take to it again, he'll switch to hurdling."

Thunder Rock won twice during his novice chase campaign and ran four times at Graded level, finishing third to leading King George contender Gerri Colombe in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase and second to subsequent Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino in the Future Champion Novices' Chase at Ayr.

Despite that disappointing performance on Saturday, Murphy retains plenty of belief in the eight-time winner, and he said: "Whether he got a fright I don't know, but we're not making any excuses and we'll dust ourselves down and go again. 

"We've still got a good horse on our hands – he hasn't lost his ability overnight. We just have to get him back in work and see where we go."

Olly Murphy will lower his sights with Thunder RockCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The trainer's only other runner at Cheltenham's December meeting, Go Dante, justified favouritism when beating Doddiethegreat in the 2m1f handicap hurdle on Friday and will now be aimed at the £110,000 Sovereign Handicap Hurdle on January 19, the opening afternoon of Lingfield's three-day Winter Million meeting.

"Go Dante won well," said Murphy. "I thought he fluffed his lines at the last, but he won with plenty of authority. He'll probably go for the valuable two-mile handicap hurdle at Lingfield next month. We'll see what the handicapper does on Tuesday, but that's the plan."

Read more:

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Paul Nicholls set to target Kempton's Kauto Star Novices' Chase with Hermes Allen after stablemate setback 

'You never have quite enough to repel the closer' - Ruby Walsh and company at their best in unpicking frantic feature 

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