Pandorama 'ideal' for Gold Cup

Westmeath horse Pandorama struck gold again last week, coming away with the spoils from Fairyhouse with a win in the Bar One Racing Drinmore Novice Chase - one of the country's top novice chases - on Wednesday, December 2.The horse, owned by Kinnegad businessman Robert Bagnall and trained by Navan's Noel Meade, was the 9/4 favourite for the Grade One race, and won by seven lengths after a terrific performance over the two and a half mile stretch, steered to victory by jockey, Davy Condon."He's probably one of only a few horses in Irish racing history to win his bumper, maiden hurdle, novice hurdle, beginners' chase and novice chase at the first time of asking," Robert, who own's Kinnegad's Hilamar Hotel, told the Westmeath Examiner.Pandorama's next big race will be the forthcoming Knight Frank Novice Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, and his owner has big plans for him in the future.Robert plans to run him at the Royal and Sun Alliance Chase at Cheltenham next year, and hopes to enter him in crown prince of horse races - the Cheltenham Gold Cup - in March 2011, when he will be eight years old."He should be at an ideal age to run in the Gold Cup then," Robert said.Pandorama isn't the only Bagnall-Meade horse destined for great things.On November 28, Parson's Pistol won the three and a half mile Bar One Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse, and Robert has every confidence that he will be fit to run the Aintree Grand National next year.But his next test will be the Welsh National on December 28, when stable colleague Pandorama will be in action at Leopardstown."It certainly would be a major talking point locally, if we could have a Westmeath horse entered in the Aintree Grand National," Robert said.If Pandorama makes the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2011, his owner hopes that he will become the second Westmeath horse to win the prestigious race in five years.In 2006, War of Attrition - owned by Ryanair CEO, Michael O'Leary - brought the Gold Cup back to the Lake County.