'It should suit him down to the ground' - Gordon Elliott and John McConnell bid to win the Velka Pardubicka

Hopes are high for a first foreign-trained winner of the Velka Pardubicka cross-country race since Its A Snip in 1995, with Aintree regular Coko Beach a first runner in the race for Gordon Elliott and Keith Donoghue, while Streets Of Doyen represents John McConnell. 

Coko Beach made his banks debut when winning the PP Hogan Memorial Chase in February and, having finished 11th in his third attempt at the Grand National, the nine-year-old was then third in the La Touche Cup back at Punchestown.

"He’s been some servant over the years and just loves jumping," said Elliott. "This sort of test will obviously be a bit different but it should suit him down to the ground. He’s a great bit of stuff and seems in great form heading over there."

Coko Beach and Jack Kennedy jump on to the Canal Turn during the La Touche Cup Cross Country Chase at the Punchestown festivalCredit: Patrick McCann

Streets Of Doyen also lined up in the La Touche and McConnell feels he was still travelling well when unseating Alex Harvey. Unlike Coko Beach, he has been kept on the go over the summer and will be the ride of Alex's brother Ben over the 4m2½f course.

"He’s in good form and arrived on Thursday and was ridden out Friday morning," said McConnell. "He seems to have travelled over well. It’s a bit of an unknown going over there but the owners were keen to have a go at it." 

McConnell added: "He was just starting to warm up into things in the La Touche before unseating and it would have been interesting if he'd stayed on his feet. Who knows how he’ll take to this race but he’s the type who might. It’s great to have a runner in it and for Ben to ride in it."

Ben Harvey will have his first ride in the Velka Pardubicka aboard Streets Of Doyen for John McConnellCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

James Best enjoyed a great spin when fourth aboard Lombargini here 12 months ago and is back for another crack, this time partnering the Slovak-trained Zataro, who failed to complete in the 2023 race. 

Previously trained by Paul Nicholls and then Sam Curling, Jeremy Pass will represent US connections for the first time when ridden by Teddy Davies for his father Joe, a three-time winning rider of the Maryland Hunt Cup who subsequently enjoyed six successive victories of the storied race as a trainer between 2016 and 2022. 

Jeremy Pass carries the pink and cherry 'loveheart' silks formerly associated with the late Mrs Miles Valentine and her ownership of horses such as Cahervillahow and Plundering, and which now belong to her granddaughter, Joy Slater. 

In 1980 Slater became the first woman to ride the winner of the Maryland Hunt Cup aboard Mrs Valentine's Cancottage, and three years later partnered Irish Grand National winner King Spruce in the Grand National under her married name, Joy Carrier.  

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