Shame and I very much doubt we will see GDC at the Festival again as he will be 11 next season and you have to go way back to Mandarin in 1962 to find the last 11yr old to win the race and you still have to go back to 1998 and the 10 yr old Cool Dawn to find the last double digit aged horse to win the race.
If he is ok, I think the obvious big target for him would be to try and equal Florida Pearl’s record 4 Irish Gold Cup wins and that would likely be via the John Durkan and Savills chases. Florida Pearl was actually 12 when he won his 4th renewal, so GDC has an advantage there in that he would be a year younger. If he were able to do that, then that would be a fitting swangsong and the right note to head off into retirement from.
I think GW pretty much has to run in the race now – hand on heart of the two I think he is more likely to see the trip out than FTF. GW has already won over 3m1f at Aintree and also won over 3m on soft ground as a novice hurdler – if he settles (a big if I know and I think they will need to ride him cold to do so) he has as good a chance as any.