Sounds Russian remains in Cheltenham Gold Cup mix
- Planet Sport writer
- 8 February 2023
Sounds Russian will stay in the Cheltenham Gold Cup until trainer Ruth Jefferson decides on whether or not to take on Galopin Des Champs in chasing's blue riband.
The eight-year-old Sholokov gelding has been a model of consistency, winning four of his nine starts over fences and finishing runner-up on three more occasions.
Sounds Russian ran Into Overdrive to half a length when second in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby on Boxing Day and then chased home Ahoy Senor in the Grade Two Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham last month.
The Norton-based handler will now take a step back and deliberate whether or not to go for Gold after watching Galopin Des Champs win the Irish Gold Cup with some ease at the weekend.
"We've left him in it and will consider pondering it," said Jefferson.
"Galopin Des Champs was good. If you want to find the only negative you could possibly find, it is that the time was slow.
"It is like anything, you can make pros and cons to every horse in the race, including mine. So we will just chill and sit for a bit, and go from there.
"Whether it is a good Gold Cup or a bad Gold Cup, it will take a bit of winning. I'd rather win a bad Gold Cup than never win one."
Sounds Russian is a general 20/1 chance for the extended three-and-a-quarter-mile March 17 feature.
Under Sean Quinlan, he had former King George VI Chase winner Frodon and Grand National winner Noble Yeats behind when producing an eye-catching run on his Prestbury Park debut.
Jefferson feels he has every right to line up, given his dependability.
"Sounds Russian is Mr Consistent, so we will leave him in and continue thinking about it," she added.
"You can sit and make a case for him being there. So for the time being, we will leave him in and see where we are at."
