Kalashnikov to miss BetVictor Gold Cup in favour of Newbury target

Kalashnikov, a general 8-1 second favourite for next Saturday's BetVictor Gold Cup, will miss the Cheltenham feature in favour of a race at Newbury at the end of this month.

Amy Murphy has decided that the hurly-burly of a maximum 20-runner field around the Cotswolds is not the best course of action for her stable star at this stage of his career.

Instead, the Newmarket trainer is eyeing the £50,000 Ladbrokes Handicap Chase at Newbury on November 29 that last year attracted just six runners and was won by Aso, whose trainer Venetia Williams has revealed is an unlikely runner in the BetVictor Gold Cup.

Kalashnikov, who landed his first Grade 1 win in the Manifesto Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, made a highly satisfactory return to the fray when finishing runner-up to Forest Bihan on a return to Merseyside for the Old Roan Chase last month.

BetVictor Gold Cup card

Murphy said: "Kalashnikov had a speculative entry at Cheltenham next weekend but won't go there and instead we'll wait for a £50,000 race at Newbury on November 29. He had a nice blow after Aintree and the Newbury race looks the easier option rather than the rough and tumble in a big field at Cheltenham."

Winner of seven of his 13 starts, Kalashnikov's highest-profile win over hurdles came at Newbury where he landed the Betfair Hurdle in 2018.

Although Kalashnikov has been ruled out, Murphy still plans to be represented by Mercian Prince, available at 33-1. She added: "We plan to run Mercian Prince in the BetVictor Gold Cup, which looks the right race for him."

Runner-up to Frodon in last season's Ryanair Chase, Aso returned to action with a third-placed finish in the Charlie Hall Chase this month. He had been due to carry top weight in the BetVictor but his targets are now unclear.

"I doubt he'll run on Saturday," said Williams. "I don't know what the plan would be at the moment but he ran a good race at Wetherby and we have to be very pleased with that."

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