Royale Pagaille National Hunt Chase favourite but Gold Cup still an alternative

Royale Pagaille’s Cheltenham Festival target has not been decided yet according to connections, despite the seven-year-old being cut into 2-1 favouritism for the National Hunt Chase.

Trained by Venetia Williams, Royale Pagaille is also prominent in the betting for the WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup after demolishing his opposition in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock in January, with his price shortening to 8-1 (from 40) in the days after the race.

However, market moves on Wednesday indicated Royale Pagaille’s final destination may have been decided as he was cut by bookmakers to 2-1 (from 9-2) for the National Hunt Chase – as well as being a mover on the exchanges – but both Williams and Joe Chambers, racing manager for owners Susannah and Rich Ricci, dismissed the notion a decision had been made.

Watch Royale Pagaille's Peter Marsh Chase demolition

Uncertainty also surrounds the participation of a number of Gordon Elliott-trained horses such as Galvin and Escaria Ten, who are towards the head of the National Hunt Chase market, due to the ongoing case involving the emergence of a photograph of the trainer sitting on a dead horse.

Chambers said on Thursday: “We haven’t made a decision on which race Royale Pagaille will run in and we’ve not spoken about it. We'll look at the five-day entries for the races he’s in and make a decision on where we go at that time.”

Should Royale Pagaille head for the National Hunt Chase, he is unlikely to face Latest Exhibition, who has been earmarked for a tilt at the Fairyhouse Easter festival.

Latest Exhibition is available at 6-1 for the National Hunt Chase as well as holding entries in the Brown Advisory and Marsh Novices' Chases, but it appears that unless the leading players sidestep their targets, the ultra-consistent eight-year-old will stay in Ireland.

Latest Exhibition: will stay in Ireland rather than heading to the festivalCredit: Patrick McCann

"He'll be entered in the Irish National and the Ryanair Gold Cup at Fairyhouse," said trainer Paul Nolan. "More than likely, he won't be going to Cheltenham.

"Unless there was something unfortunate to happen to anyone, our plan is to go to Fairyhouse rather than Cheltenham. I'm happier with him now than at any stage of the season so far, I'm very happy with how he looks – he's more conditioned."

Owned by the Toberona Partnership, Latest Exhibition is rated 153, a mark that would have resulted in him carrying 11st 3lb in the 2019 Irish National and 11st the year before.

Nolan added: "You need an awful lot of luck in running for an Irish National, and that's why we've given ourselves the option of the novice chase too, but we'll talk to the owners and see closer to the time.

"There's only one Irish National, it's one of the greatest races we have in Ireland. Hopefully he'll still be in good shape come then."

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