Jack Kennedy keeps Minella Indo ride as Gold Cup hero heads to Down Royal

Gold Cup winner Minella Indo is set for his seasonal reappearance in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase (2.50) at Down Royal on Saturday, with trainer Henry de Bromhead revealing Jack Kennedy will retain the ride on the eight-year-old.

Kennedy came in for the ride in the Gold Cup after De Bromhead’s stable jockey Rachael Blackmore elected to ride A Plus Tard at Cheltenham, and connections of Minella Indo have decided to keep the partnership intact.

De Bromhead said on Tuesday: "Jack keeps the ride. We've had this race as the plan for a while. Minella Indo's in great form and we're looking forward to getting him started."

Kennedy's boss Gordon Elliott has three entries in the race, but the jockey said the opportunity to stick by the Gold Cup winner was something he could not turn down.

He said: "It's very exciting to be getting back on Minella Indo this weekend. It looks a nice race for him to start back in and hopefully he can run well."

Elliott, who won the race last year with The Storyteller, could rely on Galvin, whom he earmarked as a future Grand National prospect after his Punchestown win this month, with Delta Work and Ravenhill his other contenders.

Ladbrokes Champion Chase card

Owners Gigginstown could also be represented by two-time winner Road To Respect, who scored in 2018 and 2019 for trainer Noel Meade.

The sole British runner remaining in the seven-strong is Frodon, who was last seen winning the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase at Sandown in April under Bryony Frost. The nine-year-old, who also won the King George last season, would be running in Ireland for the first time.

Fairyhill Run, who completes the line-up for the Ladbrokes Champion Chase, also holds an entry in the Join Racing TV Chase (3.25), a Grade 2 which is set to feature the highly anticipated return of Envoi Allen, another of De Bromhead's stable stars.

The seven-year-old's unbeaten run ended in dramatic fashion at the Cheltenham Festival in March when he fell in the Marsh Novices' Chase on his first start for De Bromhead after switching from Elliott.

Envoi Allen's final run of last season also ended in disappointment when he pulled up lame in the Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown.

He could face a field of up to six in Saturday's 2m3f contest, with Elliott potentially represented by Coko Beach and Vado Forte.

Ladbrokes Champion Chase entries

Delta Work
Frodon
Galvin
Minella Indo
Ravenhill
Road To Respect
Fairyhill Run

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