Michael “Mouse” Morris knows a thing or two about training a Gold Cup horse and he might just have another one on his hands in Gentlemansgame.

The grey gelding was a game winner of the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on Saturday, outbattling last year’s Gold Cup winner and reigning King George victor Bravemansgame after that rival made a mistake at the last.

Fences

It was just the seven-year-old’s third ever start over fences and he became the first winner of the three-mile Grade 2 since Sackville in 2001. Morris famously trained War Of Attrition to win the Gold Cup in 2006 and is also a Grand National-winning trainer after Rule The World’s victory at Aintree in 2016.

Based in Fethard, Co Tipperary, he doesn’t have the same numbers as he did in that era but he has never gone down in estimations of his ability to handle a good horse, which clearly hasn’t been lost on Gentlemansgame’s owner Brian Acheson. The Clonmel native’s Robcour operation is one of the leading players in Irish jumps racing now.

Speaking at Wetherby, Morris said: “He jumped super. He was a bit fiddly at one or two but that was to be expected.

He was taking on Gold Cup horses. “I was limited as to where I could go with him. It would have been stupid to take on Gerri Colombe (also owned by Acheson) at Down Royal so early and I had to get a run into him.”

Given that the race was just a third start over fences for Gentlemansgame, he has the scope to develop into a serious contender for the Gold Cup. The Savills Chase at Leopardstown was mooted as a possible destination for him next, though Gerri Colombe (trained by Gordon Elliott) will also have that option.

That dual Grade 1-winning novice chaser will get his season underway in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at the rescheduled Down Royal meeting this weekend.

The track was hit hard by heavy rain last week but looks set to get the go ahead this time. Gerri Colombe is likely to face Envoi Allen, last year’s winner of the race, and stablemate Conflated amongst others on Saturday.