DON Cossack showed he had no ill effects from his Kempton fall when winning the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles on Thursday.

However, many were not quite sure what to make of his victory. To watch him pass the post, nine and a half lengths clear, it was just as expected, he looked impressive. To tune in as he was approaching the straight, it was much less so as he needed two cracks of the stick to get him motivated before he knuckled down to action.

Indeed, it looks like he may have been taking notes from Don Poli in action, such was his lazy style. Don’t exert yourself until you have to, now seems to be the way of thinking of the two Dons.

It presents a major dilemma for Bryan Cooper in choosing between the three Grade 1 winners for the Gigginstown Gold Cup bid. The more free-going Road To Riches who gives everything willingly, the lazy Don Poli who had to be asked and possibly conceals the extent of his true ability and now Don Cossack, once the classiest of the three with the best two and a half mile form but who now might need headgear to make him travel better. Cheekpieces are likely to be added before his Gold Cup run. It’s a turn arround that it is this Don who first gets the headgear added when many felt Don Poli needed them more.

It should be remembered Don Cossack appeared much better on faster ground last year in the spring and wasn’t overly impressive in this race last year when Champagne Fever fell when upsides at the last. His spring form was on a different level.

There are only two major trials left to further clarify the Gold Cup. Cheltenham’s Cotswold Chase at the end of the month and Leopardstown two weeks later. And Vautour is unlikely to appear again. It leaves Don Poli and Road To Riches as the two horses most likely to move around in the markets.

A few of the players who made up the market are absent with Alan King preferring the Ryanair Chase for Smad Place and Silviniaco Conti not entered.

Gilgamboa (66/1) is likely to line up at Leopardstown and a good run could see him contract though he is entered in the Ryanair. He could still be an underexposed horse.