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Gordon Elliott reported his Cheltenham Gold Cup hopeful Gerri Colombe to be ‘in good form’ when speaking to the media from his County Meath stable this morning but was also realistic about the task, he faces in toppling current market leader Galopin Des Champs.

Willie Mullins' defending champion Galopin Des Champs will head to Cheltenham on the back of a commanding victory in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last month, an engagement Gerri Colombe missed in favour of arriving at Prestbury Park fresh next month.

However, the pair did meet in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Boxing Day, where Galopin Des Champs would run out a facile winner and although Gordon Elliott is positive his charge was not at his best that day, he was realistic regarding the task Gerri Colombe faces as he bids to make up a 23-length deficit.

"Gerri Colombe is in good form. I think Galopin Des Champs has been awesome this year, I don't know how we're going to beat him, but I think we're better than we were in Leopardstown the last day," said Elliott of his four-time Grade 1-winning chaser, who came within a short-head of Festival glory last season when beaten by The Real Whacker in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase.

"For me, he didn't run his race in the Savills. He wouldn't have been second I don't think with another 100 yards."

"We've always counted him as a bit of a mud lover, but I think the better the ground, the better the chance he'll have.

"He really stays, he's not flashy and doesn't do anything fancy, but he looks great, and we've been training him for one day."

Gerri Colombe is a general 10/1 chance to claim the blue riband event at the Cheltenham festival next month, with last year's hero Galopin Des Champs an even money shot to successfully defend his crown.