THE Grey Gatsby has joined trainer Dermot Weld.

When trained in Yorkshire by Kevin Ryan, The Grey Gatsby won the Dante, Prix du Jockey-Club and the Irish Champion Stakes during a memorable 2014 campaign. Although he has failed to win in 11 starts since his sensational Leopardstown success he has generally performed to a high level. His final start for Ryan came in the Champion Stakes at Ascot last October when he finished fifth behind Almanzor.

Weld said: “He has been a grand horse and perhaps he has been unlucky a few times. We beat him by a short-head one day in Royal Ascot with Free Eagle and sometimes the ground didn’t go his way. He just needs a bit of luck.”

GREAT CONDITION

The horse’s owner, Frank Gillespie, had a two-year-old filly named Tilly Trotter in training with Weld last year and she won twice.

“That’s how The Grey Gatsby came to me and, to be fair, he arrived in great condition. I have no definite plans – we’ll see how he settles in.”

Weld has been quiet during the National Hunt season and says the mild winter has left his flat string more forward than usual for the time of year.

Looking ahead he said: “We’ve lost Harzand and Fantastic Rock to stud, a number of our stakes race fillies have also been retired, and some of our two-year-old winners were sold to race in Hong Kong.

“We’ve had three wonderful years back-to-back but this year our strength could be in the two-year-old division.”