Trainer Gordon Elliott is choosing to skip next weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival with Gold Cup hope Gerri Colombe and will instead head straight to Cheltenham.

The eight-year-old made an exciting start to life in open company when taking the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal in November, but finished a well-beaten second behind Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 Savills Chase over Christmas.

Although jockey Jack Kennedy was able to sit prominently aboard the Grade 1 winner, he had no answer for the dominant display of Galopin Des Champs and was twenty-three lengths behind the Gold Cup hero at the line. 

With the Irish Gold Cup expected to be another showdown between some of the best staying chasers in both the UK and Ireland, Gordon Elliott would prefer to keep his star fresh for Cheltenham.

"Gerri Colombe probably won't run next weekend and we'll go straight to Cheltenham with him," said Elliott.

"He didn't run his race at Christmas. He's grand and can go to all the spring festivals.

"Instead of going back for another slog, we'll go straight to Cheltenham and we have Aintree and Punchestown afterwards."

Gerri Colombe is a general 8/1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.