Doddiethegreat handed Coral Cup mission

Doddiethegreat

will step back up in trip for a shot at the Coral Cup at the Cheltenham Festival having delighted his team when flying home for fourth in Newbury’s Betfair Hurdle.

The eight-year-old is named after former Scotland rugby star Doddie Weir, who died of motor neurone disease in 2022, and all prize-money won by the equine namesake is donated by ower Kenny Alexander - a great friend of Weir -  to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the organisation set up in Weir’s name to aid research into MND.

The foundation reaped the rewards of that generous gesture at the beginning of the gelding’s career and, although injury threatened to curtail Doddiethegreat’s progress with an absence of over two years, he has continued to move forward since his racecourse return earlier this season.

Trainer may have saddled the winner of Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle, Iberico Lord, but the Seven Barrows handler was just as thrilled with Doddiethegreat who kept on strongly to claim fourth.

Connections now feel the time is right to move up to two miles and five furlongs at the Cheltenham Festival – a distance Doddiethegreat won over on his hurdles bow in 2021.

“We were delighted with his run and Nicky and everyone thinks ideally he needs another half a mile,” said Alexander’s racing manager Peter Molony.

“Given the circumstances, we were really happy with the run and we were perhaps unlucky not to be third and pick up even more money for the cause.

“I think we’ve got the Coral Cup in mind for him and that’s the plan at the moment.

“He’s a lovely horse and of course we have to be a bit careful after his injury, but we’ve been delighted with him and touch wood, the leg seems to be holding up well. Hopefully we can get plenty more runs into him and win plenty more prize-money for the foundation.”