Looks Like Trouble is "good enough" to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup according to the British Horseracing Board's steeplechase handicapper Phil Smith.
Noel Chance's bold-jumping eight-year-old trounced a good field for the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday off a mark of 160, coming home a distance clear of Go Ballistic to earn a crack at chasing's blue riband.
"I've moved Looks Like Trouble up to 170," Smith announced yesterday. "The thinking behind it is that 170 is the mark of a Gold Cup winner in an average year but of course this year See More Business (rated 177) is above average.
"My view is that Looks Like Trouble is good enough to win a Gold Cup in an average year and is probably capable of better still. A mark of 170 gives him credit for his Cheltenham victory and the possibility of further improvement.
"Although Go Ballistic didn't run his race he is a solid 167 and Looks Like Trouble would be a better horse than Go Ballistic."
Coral reported several sizeable ante post bets yesterday for Looks Like Trouble for the big Cheltenham race. The firm reacted by cutting him to 5 to 1 (from 6-1) second favourite behind See More Business, who remains the 7 to 4 favourite to retain his title. Florida Pearl, who runs at Leopardstown on Sunday, is the 8 to 1 third favourite.
Meanwhile, Easter Ross was cut to 25 to 1 by Coral from 40 to 1 for next month's Royal & SunAlliance Chase after a comfortable victory at Kempton yesterday afternoon. The seven-year-old, who was making his chasing debut, was returning to action after a lengthy absence.
