I wouldn't be reading anything into the Drinmore or the trip. Despite the 2m4 distance, it's a perfect race during the season for all trips. There's been plenty of NHC types in Rathvinden, Discorama and Cause of Causes. It's been a stepping stone for the RSA with Delta Work, Don Cossack, No More Heroes, Alpha des Obeaux. And as you'd expect JLT runners in Valseur Lido, Sub Leuitenant and Apache Stronghold and you even had Le Richebourg who would have been Arkle bound in last years renewal.
Gigginstown (and Elliott) will throw at least a couple in the race (3, 2, 4, 3, 4 runners in the last 5 renewals). No doubt Champagne Classic will be joined by at least one of Battleoverdoyen, Samcro and co. What happens in the race itself may alter the directions each horse take but the entry at least for me wouldn't mean a thing.
I think Champagne Classic will almost certainly end up in this race. That said it's Gigginstown who have history for forcing a trainers hand with this race and as always have a host of horses across the novice chases. So any backers really should have that in the back of their mind if aiming the Gigginstown horses at specific races. If all of Battleoverdoyen, Samcro, Champagne Classic, Dallas des Pictons, Eclair de Beafeu fulfill the potential / early promise then it'll likely get very uncertain on targets as much as Elliott is generally as upfront as can be. Imagine if they had Commander of Fleet and Defi Bleu in there who would have been right up there as novice chasers and then you have lesser horses like Dortmund Park.
