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'It'll be a hell of a race' - Clan Des Obeaux primed for Punchestown defence

Paul Nicholls in the top yard at Manor Farm StablesDitcheat 14.12.21 Pic: Edward Whitaker
Paul Nicholls: hopes to repeat last season's heroics with Clan Des ObeauxCredit: Edward Whitaker

Paul Nicholls is looking forward to a "hell of a race" as he finalises plans for Clan Des Obeaux’s Punchestown Gold Cup defence on April 27.

Clan Des Obeaux skipped Cheltenham twelve months ago to pursue a spring campaign and that decision was rewarded with wins in both the Betway Bowl at Aintree and the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Nicholls has chosen to chart the same course with the ten-year-old this season and one half of the plan came together when, wearing blinkers for the first time, he comfortably landed back-to-back renewals of the Betway Bowl on Saturday.


Ladbrokes Punchestown Gold Cup (April 27): full card and entries


With all being well, another bold bid at Punchestown can be expected. "Running at Aintree and Punchestown certainly worked out well last year," Nicholls said. "He had quite a hard race last week but he's come out of it well, so who knows.

"It'll be a good race whatever happens. It was always the plan to do the two and that's not changed."

Nicholls is viewing Punchestown with some trepidation, however, as fresh horses will likely lie in wait.

CLAN DES OBEAUX Ridden by Harry Cobden wins the BETWAY BOWL CHASE (GRADE 1) at AINTREE 7/4/22Photograph by Grossick Racing Photography 0771 046 1723
Clan Des Obeaux: a back-to-back winner of the Betway BowlCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

He added: "I wouldn't want to say I'm confident because I suspect some of those horses who ran in the Gold Cup, like Minella Indo and Galvin, will turn up. It'll be a hell of a race whatever happens.

"At the moment we're looking forward to going but he only ran last Thursday, there's plenty of water under the bridge to be 100 per cent sure."

Bob And Co edged out Billaway by a nose to win last year’s Champion Hunters Chase and Nicholls has confirmed he, like Clan Des Obeaux, will return to Ireland to defend his crown.

The veteran fell in this year’s Foxhunters' at the Cheltenham Festival when travelling well under owner-jockey David Maxwell but that perhaps should not deter from his chances at Punchestown, given he suffered a similar fate when unseating Sean Bowen in the same race last season.


The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday


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