Don't know about deep down Dan I think Ruby is 100% sure he won't get the Gold Cup trip and the only way to convince Ricci to go Ryanair was to sell him a fairy story,
Vautour looked a picture and ran/won like a horse who was at the top of his game.
I reckon trainer and Jockey thought they could win both races and sending Vautour and unlikely stayer was like sending someone on a fools erand.
Ricci is adamant he wants to go Gold Cup, Ruby thinks he's correct and the horse won't stay so emerges the not working well enough story...Ruby and probably WPM get their own way.
I have never know any horse who was so well fancied nit run in his chosen race if fit.
Like Nicky Henderson said before Kempton about Sprinter..........he said if it comes up too soft I won't run him but if it comes up soft or worse at Cheltenham then you have no choice you have to go.
Total BS about the horse working badly he simply isn't a Gold Cup horse and never will be.