Coole Cody to step out of handicap company after Cheltenham disappointment

Coole Cody is none the worse for the bad jumping error that caused him to be pulled up with more than a circuit to go in his bid for a second win in the Paddy Power Gold Cup.

However, he will not attempt to repeat last year's success in the Racing Post Gold Cup back at Cheltenham next month and is now set to step out of handicap company.

The 11-year-old has a fine record in the big chases over two and a half miles at Cheltenham, having also landed the Paddy Power there in 2020 and the Plate at the festival in March.

However, he also fell in the Paddy Power last season and blundered and sprawled on landing over the fifth fence in Saturday's race, which was won by Ga Law, and was pulled up before the next by Adam Wedge.

"He did the splits but he was sound this morning," said trainer Evan Williams on Sunday. "Everything is 100 per cent fine with him."

Coole Cody had 11st 9lb to carry in Saturday's race, whose finish was fought out by horses at least four years his junior, and Williams is looking at alternative targets now.

"He won't go for the Racing Post Gold Cup," he said. "I'm going to run him in a conditions race somewhere and go from there. There are plenty to come, with small fields.

"I was looking at those younger horses coming through and it's stupid to be carrying big weights in that sort of race now."

Four of Coole Cody's eight wins have come at Cheltenham and he has earned £301,000 in his 37-race career.

Read more on the Paddy Power Gold Cup:

Ga Law seals poignant big-race win with Cheltenham regular remembered

'He's only a pup' - Morris takes the positives from French Dynamite's second

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