VOY POR USTEDES will aim to provide owner Sir Robert Ogden with a second successive victory in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown a week today.
Last season the ill-fated Exotic Dancer, who died at Aintree in April, landed the Grade One contest for the Yorkshireman.
Now connections are looking across Irish Sea with the Alan King-trained Voy Por Ustedes.
The eight-year-old wasn’t entered in the William King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day despite finishing third to Kauto Star last year.
And despite that Voy Por Ustedes has yet to really prove himself over the three-mile trip.
But he is currently a 9-1 chance with Stan James for the Irish showpiece contest.
Ogden’s racing manager Barry Simpson said: “We have three options for him at the moment, but I would say it is 80-20 in favour of him running in the Lexus Chase.
“If he didn’t go there we’d take him to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day where he could run in a chase or a handicap hurdle, but our preference is for the Lexus.
“We are desperate to get a run into him. He has only been out once this season and boils up quickly so he is ready to run.
“The issue with Ireland may be the ground as it will probably be soft and holding which would be against him.
“He did win on heavy ground at Ascot last season but that was soft loose ground and he was entitled to win as he did. He won very well and for me that was his best ever performance.
“He wants to go left-handed and we believe that is the key to him.
“He jumped the worst he has ever done at Ascot last time and did extremely well to finish third giving weight away on his first run of the season. The Lexus is very much a possibility, but a lot will depend on the ground and if it is poor weather we will look at Cheltenham.
“I hope it works out and we get a good run into him.”
Voy Por Ustedes has won twice at the Cheltenham Festival and wasa decent second in the last season’s Ryanair Chase despite blundering the fourth-last fence.
Simpson added: “The Ryanair is his objective and while he may run in races such as the Cotswold Chase over a distance further than ideal he will drop back to two miles five furlongs at the Festival.”
On horse who won’t be in opposition in the Lexus is Edward O’Grady’s Tranquil Sea.
The impressive winner of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November will instead take his chance in the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown.
O’Grady hinted at a step up in trip after Tranquil Sea’s win in the 2m5f Paddy Power Gold Cup hero, but the seven-year-old will now drop back to the minimum distance.
The County Tipperary trainer said: “He will not be in the Lexus after noon tomorrow and he will run over the shorter trip.
“I would like to think he has improved since Cheltenham and this seems a nice opportunity for him to try and prove that.
“It might not be his ideal trip but I am looking forward to him running as there are not that many options for him.”
The Grade One-winning hurdler is a best-priced 8-1 with William Hill and Stan James to make a successful return to Cheltenham in March’s Ryanair Chase.
And O’Grady said: “I think he will get the Gold Cup trip in a year’s time when Kauto Star and Denman are a year older, but it is doubtful this year and we will probably aim him at the Ryanair.”
TODAY’S NAP: Hart Of Gold (4.35pm Kempton).
