Don Cossack versus Cue Card

Meath trainer Gordon Elliott and UK handler Colin Tizzard will be going head-to-head at Punchestown when Don Cossack faces Cue Card in the €200,000 Grade 1 Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup on Wednesday 27th April.

A vintage jump season is set to end on a massive high with the brilliant Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Don Cossack faces British superstar Cue Card at the Kildare track.

Cue Card is part of a sizeable Punchestown raiding party trained in Dorset by Colin Tizzard, but fell at Cheltenham and made amends in style when winning the Grade 1 Betfred Bowl by nine lengths at Aintree on Thursday.

Cue Card and Don Cossack are among 20 entries that also include the Cheltenham second, third and fourth - Djakadam, Don Poli and Carlingford Lough.

Ryanair Chase winner Vautour, a faller at Aintree last week, could step back up in trip for this contest.

Both Tizzard and Elliott, are looking forward to the big race.

Cue Card has come out of last week's race in good shape and Tizzard said: 'The plan always was to go on to Punchestown and I don't see any reason to change that. He fell at Cheltenham and mentally didn't have a hard race. He also didn't have too hard a race at Aintree and he's come out of it all fine. From three out to two out at Aintree he came through a gap and came eight lengths clear without ever seeming to do too much.He's in the form of his life so there's no reason not to go.'

Speaking about Don Cossack, Tizzard added:'Hopefully they both jump a clear round. Don Cossack's fallen once, we've fallen once and hopefully they both jump clear and we'll see who finishes in front.'

Elliott also has great respect for Cue Card and reports Don Cossack in good shape, as he bids for back-to-back victories in the Bibby Financial Services Ireland Punchestown Gold Cup.

'Cue Card looked very good at Aintree, he couldn't have done more than he did. He's a horse I've got massive respect for. It's going to be a very good race at Punchestown,' said Elliott.

'He'll have one more good bit of work after today and then it's all systems go for Punchestown. We won the race last year and so it would obviously be great to win it again but he owes us nothing having won a Cheltenham Gold Cup.'

Other stars entered at the Festival include Annie Power, Douvan, Native River, Sprinter Sacre, Thistlecrack, Vautour, Vroum Vroum Mag and Yorkhill