Kim Bailey aiming for third bet365 Gold Cup with El Presente

Kim Bailey has revealed that the bet365 Gold Cup has been the plan for some time with El Presente, who is one of 20 entries for the Grade Three handicap chase on bet365 Jump Finale Day at Sandown Park on Saturday (April 24th).

The eight year old was a particularly game winner of the Badger Beers Silver Trophy on good ground at Wincanton in November and he returned from a break when third over three miles at Ludlow last month.

Bailey, who has landed Saturday’s contest previously with Mr Frisk (1990) and Docklands Express (1991), is hopeful of a good performance from his charge, who is an 8-1 chance with sponsor bet365.

Bailey said: “He’s fine after Ludlow – it was very much with the idea of getting him back after his break during the winter.

“It’s certainly been our view to go here after he won the Badger Beers Silver Trophy at Wincanton. Whether he’s good enough is another matter, but that’s always been the plan.

“He’s got conditions in his favour on a right-handed track, so the rest of it is in the lap of the Gods.”

Bailey is also due to send out Younevercall in the Grade Two bet365 Select Hurdle over 2m 51/2f furlongs.

The 10 year old is aiming to win back-to-back renewals of the race, having struck gold in the most recent running in 2019, and Bailey is bullish about another good showing on Saturday.

Younevercall shaped well to finish eighth in last month’s Grade One Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and Bailey said: “I thought he ran an absolute stormer at The Festival and he’s in a really good place.

“We’ve had this race on his agenda all winter and we just ran him at Cheltenham because we wanted to find out if he could handle going left-handed. There was also the fact that we had plenty of time before he was going to run again.

“I’m delighted with the way he ran at Cheltenham and for a 10 year old he’s perhaps still improving, so who knows?”