Martin Pipe gave Cyfor Malta a clean bill of health yesterday following his Tote Gold Cup rehearsal victory in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday. The six-year-old, stepping up to three miles plus for the first time, stayed on strongly up the Prestbury Park hill for Tony McCoy to allay any stamina fears and is now on target for chasing's blue riband in March.
"He's come out of the race in fine shape and I wouldn't think he will run again before the Gold Cup," said Pipe of the David Johnson-owned gelding who is now a best-priced 8 to 1 for the Cheltenham showpiece.
"He could really have done with a stronger pace yesterday as it turned into a bit of a falsely run race and he would be better coming off a fast pace but I was pleased with him as apart from the second last he jumped very well and got the trip well."
However, Unsinkable Boxer, an unlucky faller when challenging leader and eventual winner Flaxley Wood in the Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase, was reported to be "a bit stiff" by the champion trainer.
"He is a bit stiff this morning but seems fairly well in himself," said Pipe. "He jumped well until he unfortunately seemed to crumple on landing at the second last and I suppose it's one of those things but I had been pleased with him up until then."
But Pipe would not be drawn on whether the 10-year-old, quoted at 20 to 1 with Ladbrokes for the Tote Gold Cup, would have another outing.
Unsinkable Boxer holds a plethora of Cheltenham Festival entries and his owner, Paul Green, commented: "He's in a lot of races at the Festival but I haven't backed him for the Gold Cup and I haven't told anybody to back him for the race either."
Graham Bradley yesterday warned punters not to ignore Suny Bay's chance in the Gold Cup.
His mount is offered at 25 to 1 for the March 18th contest by William Hill, having been pulled up in the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown last month.
But the jockey is convinced there are valid excuses for the Simon Sherwood-trained grey's performance and that the form can be ignored.
"He does not mind soft, sloppy ground but it was horrible and gluey and he hated it," Bradley said.
"He didn't give me any sort of feel either and was beaten after a mile - and don't forget some of Simon's horses were not running at their best at the time."
Paul Nicholls was yesterday refusing to write off See More Business's chance in the Gold Cup.
His charge was pushed out to a general 20 to 1 after he could finish only third behind Cyfor Malta on Saturday. But the trainer confidently forecast that less testing conditions will bring a return to form in the 1997 King George VI Chase winner, who was carried out in last year's Gold Cup.
"Joe Tizzard said he wasn't so happy on the ground yesterday," Nicholls said. "He doesn't jump well enough out of it. But at the end of the day he was only beaten 10 lengths, giving the winner 6lb, so it wasn't that bad.
"He is fine this morning and will go straight to Cheltenham. I would be hopeful rather than confident of turning the tables with the winner."
Nicholls would not be drawn on the possibility of stable-jockey Tizzard's switching to recent impressive Wincanton winner Double Thriller in the Gold Cup.
