Jim Culloty maps out Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere route
Wednesday 3 December 2014 10:42, UK
Jim Culloty has a clear plan in his mind of how Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere's season will pan out if everything goes to plan.
Already a dual Cheltenham Festival winner having also won the RSA Chase in 2013, he starts off his campaign in the John Durkan Memorial Chase at Punchestown on Sunday.
After that it will be the Lexus, the Irish Hennessy and then a return to Cheltenham to defend his crown.
"The plan is, all going well, he'll run in the John Durkan and hopefully get a little bit of confidence, go to the Lexus at Christmas then the Irish Hennessy in February and Cheltenham. It can all change in two minutes but that is what we'd like to do," Culloty told At The Races.
The former jockey also spoke of the difficulty he had in getting his stable star right for the blue riband in March having come back a little jarred after running in the Hennessy at Newbury a year ago.
"I had issues with the horse all season after his Hennessy run on quick ground. We battled with him all the way through and he came back for Cheltenham but we were conscious of his issues so he didn't run after that," said Culloty.
"Basically he needed a good holiday and it appears to have done the trick, he's in good health and is moving very well.
"They called the ground good to soft (at Newbury) but it was a good bit quicker than that and he came back sore and he picked up an infection but the holiday has helped him and I'm hoping for a clear run this year.
"I'd have felt a lot better if he'd won the Gold Cup by 10 lengths rather than the fashion he did!"
