Derby-winning trainer Bell plans tilt at Triumph

The Newmarket trainer is hoping that the recently gelded Metaphoric, who wears the Royal Ascot Racing Club colours carried to victory at Epsom in 2005 by Motivator, will develop into a Triumph Hurdle contender.

There were early hopes that Metaphoric would become a Derby prospect himself but they were dashed when he finished last of four to subsequent Irish Derby winner Soldier Of Fortune in the Chester Vase in May.

However, his respectable sixth to Mahler in the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot and third to Speed Gifted in the Melrose Stakes at York's Ebor meeting mean that he will be one of the highest-rated British Flat horses to try to break into the juvenile hurdling scene.

Bell said: 'He is potentially a very high class novice. We'll give him about 10 days to get over being gelded and then pop him over a hurdle and see how he goes.'

Bell has actually trained two jump winners. They came from a total of just three National Hunt runners that he has had since he started training in 1989.

Now a leading Flat trainer, Bell was assistant to one of the most famous names in jumping — Mercy Rimell — before branching out on his own.

With the turf Flat season in its final fortnight, the return of top chaser Kauto Star at Aintree on Sunday has sharpened the focus on the jumps.

On Monday, reflecting on the Cheltenham Gold Cup winner's second to Monet's Garden in the Old Roan Chase, trainer Paul Nicholls admitted he was concerned about how his gelding had needed serious urging mid-race from Ruby Walsh.

Nicholls said: 'The bare form of the race was good. I was just more concerned, as everyone else seemed to be, that he raced lazily during the middle part of the race, which is unlike him.'

That trait would not be something that you would want to see when he steps up to three miles for the Betfair Chase at Haydock next month. But it would be foolhardy to jump to any quick conclusions on such slim evidence.

However, champions are constantly analysed for flaws and Blue Square have wasted no time in opening a market on what Ruby Walsh will ride in the Gold Cup. Retaining his partnership with Kauto Star is 8-13 favourite.

Stablemate Denman, 2-1 to be Ruby's Gold Cup ride, has not been declared for this weekend's Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby. He is likely to return in the Hennessy at Newbury on December 1.