Pipe keeps his options open
February 02, 2012 09:50:14 UK
David Pipe is continuing to keep all his options open on his better Cheltenham candidates and could be accused of allowing his indecision to be final.
With Grand Crus' final Festival destination still undecided, Notus De La Tour is the latest of his top squad to be kept on hold.
The ultra consistent Notus De La Tour will now head straight to the Festival but his exact target has yet to be decided.
David Pipe
Notus De La Tour returned from Ireland having run third to tearaway winner Flemenstar with the trainer reporting him to be "fine and in good form!"
But Pipe is no closer to deciding which race he will go for in March, declaring: "He ran another fine race in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown and Robbie Power gave him another great ride but we (and the rest of the field) were no match for the very impressive winner, Flemenstar.
"It is reported the winner will not be heading to Cheltenham in March but wherever he does turn out it will take a very good horse to beat him.
"The ultra consistent Notus De La Tour will now head straight to the Festival but his exact target has yet to be decided, it may be either the Jewson novice's chase or the Byrne Group chase."
Pipe is 26.00 to finish as the Thomas Pink top trainer at the Cheltenham Festival while Paul Nicholls is at 8.00 and Nicky Henderson is at 1.16.
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