Gold Cup hero Sizing John out of Betfair Chase amid ground concerns

Jessica Harrington has been forced to abandon plans to take the wraps off her Gold Cup winner Sizing John in Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock owing to a likelihood of very soft ground.

The decision means Sizing John’s lucrative £1 million Jockey Club bonus bid for winning the Betfair Chase, the King George and then the Gold Cup is over before it had began.

Harrington is now concentrating on starting her stable star off in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown on December 10.

Speaking to the Racing Post, She said: “After all of this rain today [Wednesday] the ground has now gone from soft to heavy in places [on the chase course] and we've decided against running. The John Durkan Chase is where we will aim him now.

“They [Haydock] didn’t expect all this rain they've got and it’s just a shame really as we'd been planning on starting him there.”

She added: “I had to make a decision. The horse is absolutely fine and he’s ready to rock and roll, but I just felt it would have been the wrong thing running him on very heavy ground against horses who have already had a run under their belts this season.”

Sizing John, ridden by Kate Harrington in preparation for the Betfair Chase that he will not now contestCredit: John Grossick (racingpost/photos.com)

The track was hit by 14mm of rain on Tuesday to add to the 14mm that fell on Sunday and Monday. The hurdles course, however, remains soft.

With so much rain around a gruelling battle for the Betfair Chase looks assured, especially as the £200,000 contest will be run over an extra furlong and a half this year, with the distance now 3m1f125yds.

While the Betfair Chase is off the table for Sizing John, Harrington said there is a strong possibility of his taking up his engagement in the 32Red King George at Kempton over Christmas.

She said: “Punchestown will be his new target and after that he could still go on to run in the King George at Kempton.”

Shortly after Harrington's announcement Bristol De Mai was shortened to 5-4 favourite for Saturday's race with the sponsors, who make Cue Card 15-8 and Outlander 6-1.

Following the death of Sizing John's owner Alan Potts aged 80 just over a week ago, Harrington has revealed he left instructions for his horses to see out their careers in his colours.

Potts suffered a heart attack just three months after his wife Ann lost her long battle with illness.

Along with his wife, the hugely successful businessman enjoyed big-race victories when teaming up with Harrington in 2016-17 – their only full season together – culminating with Sizing John realising a lifelong dream for the Yorkshireman by capturing the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

Harrington has now confirmed all the Potts-owned horses will continue to run in his colours until they retire.

The trainer said: “Apparently he [Alan Potts] changed everything before Ann died. Everything got changed into an Ann and Alan Potts Ltd partnership and apparently the horses are to run until they’ve stopped running – until they get old, like myself!”

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