By Andrew Atkinson
Top Dog (9-1) tipped by fromthehorsesmouth.info landed the Betfair Exchange 2 miles NH Flat race at Newbury under Tom Bellamy.
Emma Lavelle trained five year-old Top Dog gained a 1 1/2 lengths win ahead of Rosy Redrum (7-1) with Ballyglass (12-1) third.
Colin Tizzard trained Eldorado Allen, who landed the Grade 2 Betfair Denman Chase, with Brendan Powell up, is eyeing a Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup bid in March.
Eldorado Allen has been slashed to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Ryanair Chase, the only race at the Cheltenham Festival he is entered in.
However, a supplement could see Eldorado Allen line-up in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“I’m sure we’ll talk about it. The Gold Cup is the Gold Cup and I’d say there’s any one of 14 that could win it this year. We’ll see,” said Tizzard.
“It was a good, brave ride by Brendan again. At Cheltenham last year – in the Arkle – he was last all along, then came on strong.
“We were pretty convinced he’d be a three-miler, but whether he’s a three-mile two, that’s something else,” added Tizzard.
“We thought we’d try him over a bit further – the plan was to sit second – but he’s a strong traveller and I just thought there’s no point fighting him, so I rode him as if he would stay.
“Because he travels so well and jumps so well I was able to keep filling him up as I could, between the second last and the last I thought I might be a sitting duck if the stamina ran out but he’s a lovely horse,” said jockey Powell.
