Nolan ready to Release The Beast in Paddy Power Gold Cup

The resurgent Paul Nolan has his eyes on the Paddy Power Gold Cup with Release The Beast – a race no Irish trainer has won since 2009.

Edward O’Grady, who died last year, was the last to take Saturday’s Cheltenham feature back across the Irish Sea with Tranquil Sea, ridden by Andrew McNamara.

Nolan, who celebrated his first Cheltenham Festival winner with Dabiroun in the 2005 Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle, has gone through something of a quiet spell by his high standards, but he is already well on the way to bettering his tally for the last couple of seasons.

Grade Two wins for Thedeviluno and Feet Of A Dancer on the same afternoon at Doncaster in January made sure punters in the UK had not forgotten his name – and Release The Beast will return to Prestbury Park having finished a fine fourth in the Grand Annual in March.

“Release The Beast put in a cracking run in the Grand Annual and we are hoping that the step up in trip will suit,” said Nolan.

“He seems to be in good form and he is a horse who seems to run well fresh. It was always difficult to get two good back-to-back runs with him, but now at least we are going there fresh, he is in good form and we are hoping for a decent run.”

The seven-year-old was beaten less than six lengths by the shock Venetia Williams-trained winner Martator at the Festival, after which he unseated rider Eoin Staples at the first fence at Punchestown.

Nolan added: “You would have to say the run at Cheltenham in March was his best run and he’ll hopefully be competitive back there on Saturday.

“The two and a half miles shouldn’t inconvenience him. He ran at Punchestown and unseated at the first, so you would like to see him settle over two-and-a-half.”