Savills Chase the new plan for Gold Cup favourite Presenting Percy

Presenting Percy, favourite for the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, will make his seasonal reappearance in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28 after connections decided against running him in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase on Sunday.

Speaking on Friday, the seven-year-old's trainer Pat Kelly said: "We decided against running him in the John Durkan as they haven't had enough rain for us to give him his first run of the season."

The ground on the chase course at Punchestown was described as "yielding, good in places" on Friday and Kelly added: "After the long dry spell we've had it takes time for rain to really soak into the ground and that should happen between now and Christmas."

Presenting Percy, who has won three of his five starts over fences, was last seen winning the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival under Davy Russell.

With Presenting Percy missing the Grade 1 feature at Punchestown, a final field of five will contest the 2m4f event.

Champion Chase runner-up Min will represent Willie Mullins while Balko Des Flos, winner of the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham in March, will attempt to give trainer Henry de Bromhead a first win in the race.

Edwulf, who memorably won the Unibet Irish Gold Cup last season, and the Gordon Elliott-trained pair The Storyteller and Shattered Love complete the line-up.

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