OUR Duke is an excellent second string to reigning champion Sizing John for Jessica Harrington in the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The strapping gelding was awesome in the Irish Grand National last spring and while he produced a listless display on his comeback at Down Royal, a creditable fourth in the Irish Gold Cup was a useful building block towards a recent triumph in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park.

"He had a bad start this season when we discovered the problem with the kissing spines, but he came back and he's in good order," said Harrington.

"He would never have run in Gowran if he hadn't made the mistake in the Irish Gold Cup. The fact that he made the mistake and Robert (Power) gave him a chance to recover meant he didn't have a hard race.

"In the end the decision to go to Gowran was easy because I knew I really needed him to run again. He needed to go and jump and jump a bit quicker.

"He decided to bulldoze one fence out of the way, but once he'd done that he jumped the last three very well.

"He's only had seven runs over fences and I think he lacks a bit of concentration when they're not going quick enough. When he won the Irish National they went a good gallop and he never put a foot wrong.

"Robert is always saying he's got a high cruising speed."

With stable jockey Power committed to riding Sizing John due to his ties to late owners Alan and Ann Potts, Noel Fehily has been called up to partner Our Duke.

Harrington said: "You don't tell those good jockeys how to ride the horses.

"Noel will have done his homework and watched all his videos and he's actually coming over on Wednesday, weather permitting, to sit on him.

"My instructions (in the Gold Cup) will be, ''Go out, jump and come home in front!'"