Clan Des Obeaux to be supplemented for Punchestown

Connections opt against bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

Clan Des Obeaux will run in the Punchestown Gold Cup next week rather than this weekend’s bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

The dual King George VI Chase winner, who was third in the latest renewal of the Kempton showpiece, returned to winning ways with a smooth victory at Aintree.

His 26-length triumph in the Betway Bowl was one of three winners on the opening day of the Grand National meeting for his co-owner Sir Alex Ferguson.

Trainer Paul Nicholls had been considering the big end-of-season handicap at the Esher track, where he would have been giving upwards of 12lb to all his rivals.

But the Ditcheat handler tweeted on Tuesday evening: “After discussions with the owners of Clan Des Obeaux we have decided that we are going to supplement him for the Punchestown Gold Cup next Wednesday and run him there and not at @Sandownpark.”

The decision to run in Ireland sets up a clash with Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, among others.

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