Jessica Harrington to go straight to the Cheltenham Gold Cup with Sizing John

Sizing John will chart a direct route towards the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

Jessica Harrington's eight-year-old was in the frame to run beforehand in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 4 — race he won 12 months ago.

But his trainer told the Daily Mirror: "He's going to go straight to the Gold Cup."

She went on: "I'd rather go there fresh and well. He's in good form, he looks good and he's been back cantering this week."

Sizing John made a spectacular winning return in the John Durkan at Punchestown last month, but was then a bitter disappointment in the Leopardstown Christmas Chase.

Harrington said: "Nothing came to light that you could hang your hat on. I just think the race came too soon.

"It didn't look like he had a hard race (at Punchestown), but these things can be deceptive — both him and Djakadam (John Durkan runner-up) ran flat at Leopardstown last time."

Sizing John bids to become the first horse to win back-to-back Gold Cups since Best Mate in 2003.

Nine of the last 14 winners of the blue riband had not run in that calendar year before the Festival, although the last four all did.