Rachael Blackmore: Minella Indo retains plenty of ability ahead of X Country debut

• Looking forward to riding Minella Indo in X Country

• He's done plenty of cross country schooling at home

• Previous Gold Cup winner retains plenty of ability

Cheltenham 15:00 - Minella Indo

I'm really looking forward to riding Minella Indo in the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham on Friday.

This is obviously a new discipline for him, his first run in a cross-country race, but he has done plenty of cross-country schooling at home, and he has also had a pop over some of the obstacles at Cheltenham. Of course, you can't beat racing experience around that track, but he has shown us plenty with the cross-country bits that he has done.

It's a handicap, so he has to give weight away to all his rivals, but he is a Gold Cup winner who retains lots of ability, and I'm hoping that he can run well.

Read Paul Nicholls' views on his five Friday runners here.

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