Paul Nicholls is ready to take the fight to the Irish at Leopardstown in February, as Frodon, Clan Des Obeaux and Greaneteen are prepared for the Dublin Racing Festival.

Trainers from the Emerald Isle have dominated the Cheltenham Festival in recent years so Nicholls is sending a raiding party to their back yard.

Frodon, winner of the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal, and dual King George VI Chase hero Clan Des Obeaux are among 18 entries for the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Saturday, February 5.
Nicholls, who, believe it or not, rode the winner of the Irish Gold Cup on Playschool in 1988 and then trained Neptune Collonges to win in 2009, is also set to run Queen Mother Champion Chase hopeful Greaneteen in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase on the Sunday of the centrepiece fixture.
Nicholls' Assistant trainer Harry Derham said: "That is the plan at the moment. Both Frodon and Greaneteen prefer a sounder surface, and racing out there the ground has looked good - so that is the plan.
"As Paul always says, you have to have the appropriate horses in the appropriate races and it is no good going over there for the sake of it, really.
"In the shape of Greaneteen and Frodon - and with Clan Des Obeaux, who is also entered in the race that Frodon is in - you have got obviously really smart horses, Grade One animals, and the conditions of those races in terms of the ground and the track will suit them well, so if you have got the appropriate horse, then it is wise to take them on.
"There is no point going over there with the wrong animal, so that's why they are entered."