Gilgamboa to miss Cheltenham

Gilgamboa looks set to miss Cheltenham and return later in the year after his disappointing showing at Navan on Sunday.

The seven-year-old made a sensational start to his chasing career with victories at Navan and Limerick but finished last of three in January’s Arkle Novice Chase at Leopardstown.

The son of Westerner looked set to bounce back in Sunday’s Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan but blotted his copybook once again as 25/1 chance Rawnaq claimed the spoils.

Gilgamboa has entries in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy and the JLT Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham, but trainer Enda Bolger feels it would benefit his charge to give him a rest and miss the prestigious Gloucestershire meeting.

“He seems fine this morning. He had a bit of a cut behind, but that wasn’t the reason he disappointed,” he said.

“He just ran very flat on the day. He’d seemed fine at home since Leopardstown, but Mark (Walsh) said he didn’t jump or travel with the same fluency as he had before.

“I think he needs a bit of a break now, so that’s the plan. I’d say it would be odds against for him to go there (Cheltenham).”