Robert Waley-Cohen admits to being excited at the prospect of Rajdhani Express running in Saturday's Paddy Power Gold Cup.
The six-year-old won the Rewards4Racing Novices' Handicap Chase over the same two-mile-four-and-a-half-furlong course at the Cheltenham Festival in March, but is 15lb higher in the weights this weekend.
Waley-Cohen's Long Run was beaten in the first major handicap of the jumps season off a mark of 158 in 2010, but it did not do him any harm as he returned to win the Gold Cup the following March. While Rajdhani Express has not been talked of in the same terms by the owner or Nicky Henderson, he progressed quickly in the second half of last season.
"It's always exciting when these second-season novices get to test their mettle against their elders," said Waley-Cohen. "You never quite know how they are going to fare.
"All we know about him is that he doesn't like it very heavy, and it doesn't look like it will be. The ground looks like it is going to be perfect so we must congratulate Simon Claisse [clerk of the course] for that.
"Dynaste is obviously the one to beat but whether he will run or not, we don't know yet."
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