Power confident John can deliver in Gold Cup

Irish jockey Robbie Power is confident his intended mount in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup, Sizing John, will get the extended three-mile-and-two furlong trip.

The Jessica Harrington-trained gelding ran out a ready winner of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month on his first start over three miles.

However, Power believes that the step up in trip again for Racing’s Blue Riband event will not inconvenience the seven-year-old son of Midnight Legend.

Sizing John was perpetually known as Douvan’s bridesmaid given the amount of times he finished behind Willie Mullins’ superstar in his younger days (seven times), but Alan and Ann Potts’ gelding has come out of his rival’s shadow in his last two races and now heads to the Prestbury Park for arguably the biggest event in National Hunt racing.

Colin Tizzard’s Native River head the betting for the Grade One event with Sizing John a general 10-1 shot.

However, Power is confident his lad will be able to live with his rivals over this longer trip: “Sizing John has always given the impression that he stays very well. He galloped all the way to the line in the Irish Gold Cup.

“I suppose you don’t know until you try, but I’d be confident he will get the extra two furlongs and obviously a bit better ground would help.”

Sizing John has already run twice at the Cheltenham Festival, chasing home Douvan on both occasions when third in the 2015 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and a seven-length second last year’s Arkle and Power hopes that course experience will stand the gelding in good stead.

Power continued: “He’s run well twice at Cheltenham before over two miles and his big strength is his jumping. He’s very quick through the air and he gets that from having run over two miles in top-class races.

“On a line through Don Poli, he’s probably got the best chance of the Irish runners, but the one Irish horse I’d be afraid of is Djakadam as he’s going there fresh and it’s the first time he’s done that.

“It’s a competitive Gold Cup and there’ll be a big field so you’ll need a lot of luck.”