‘He’s riding out of his skin’ – Cobden caps big week in style

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The Paul Nicholls yard have lavished praise on stable jockey Harry Cobden, who added another Grade One to his tally on Hermes Allen on Saturday to go with his King George success on Bravemansgame on Boxing Day.

Cobden chose to stick to the inside on Hermes Allen in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury, while many of his rivals elected to inspect the rest of the track for better ground.

While it would have made seemingly no difference given the ease of his win, Nicholls’ assistant Charlie Davies felt it was yet another example of just how well Cobden is currently riding.

“Harry is riding out of his skin. We were talking in the car the other day, me and Paul, and saying he has got to be one of the best jockeys riding in England today,” said Davies.

“He has really come of age this season and is a huge part of the team. We are very lucky to have him riding for us.”

As for the Gold Cup-bound Bravemansgame, a 13th King George winner for Nicholls, Davies said: “He has come out of it great. Scot’s (Marshall) delighted with him. We are really, really happy and he will hopefully go to Cheltenham with a big chance.

“It is difficult, isn’t it? People have cribbed him in the press this week about how he won’t act around Cheltenham.

“He’s been there once and didn’t perform to his top marks, but he has only been there once and is a bigger, stronger, better horse. He relaxes well, he jumps brilliantly, and I don’t think there is absolutely any reason why he wouldn’t go round there.”

Constitution Hill and Epatante take festive exertions in their stride

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Nicky Henderson is “juggling balls in the air” as he reported Constitution Hill and Epatante to have come out of their Christmas clash in good shape.

Ante-post Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill was the undoubted star of the show, maintaining his unbeaten record under rules with another emphatic victory over stablemate Epatante in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day.

Constitution Hill enjoyed a Kempton cruise on Boxing Day
Constitution Hill enjoyed a Kempton cruise on Boxing Day (John Walton/PA)

Speaking at Newbury on Saturday, Henderson said: “They are all fine and have all come out of their races very well. They are all happy. We are just sort of juggling all the balls in the air.”

On the likely Cheltenham target for Epatante, who won the Champion Hurdle in 2020, the Seven Barrows trainer said: “I don’t know what we will do with Epatante. JP (McManus, owner) will make that decision in due course.

“She will be in the Champion Hurdle and I suspect she will be in the Mares’ (Hurdle) as well.”

Saint Sam claims notable victory back over hurdles at Punchestown

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Two Cheltenham Festival heroes, a Cesarewitch winner and a Grand National runner-up lined up in the Tote Proudly Sponsoring At Punchestown Hurdle – but the race was dominated by Saint Sam.

Reverting to hurdles having been highly tried as a novice chaser last season, the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old was soon in an early advantage and it was one he would not relinquish.

A trait of his time over fences was that he raced keenly, sometimes too keenly for his own good, and while he was racing enthusiastically for Paul Townend, the champion jockey was always in control on the even-money favourite.

Charles Byrnes’ Run For Oscar, who won the Cesarewitch in October, tried to keep tabs but he was treading water by the time he reached the last flight and it was Ted Walsh’s Grand National second Any Second Now who stayed on well for second over a trip far short of his best.

Summerville Boy, the 2018 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, ran well enough in fourth on his first outing for Henry de Bromhead but Jeff Kidder, Noel Meade’s 2021 Fred Winter scorer, in which he beat Saint Sam, could finish only seventh.

“We decided to come back over hurdles with him and it might be the right thing to do going out in trip with him. He likes to get on with the job so Paul let him get on with it today,” said Mullins.

“He put in some tremendous jumps and I think if he settles a little better over hurdles that might be his career for the near future. Otherwise I’ll mix it with him over fences.

“I want to get him out in trip. He’s bred to stay further, but he races a bit keenly. I think he’ll settle down once he gets used to racing over a longer trip.”

Sir Allen could be Cheltenham-bound
Sir Allen could be Cheltenham-bound (PA)

Townend also adopted front-running tactics on Sinbad Le Marin in the Play The Tote Exacta On Every Race 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle but he faded into third behind Andy Slattery’s Sir Allen (7-2).

“He was my only runner over Christmas and was one we thought might win,” said Slattery.

“He’s a nice horse and since the first day he started jumping hurdles he seems to enjoy it.

“I think there is a four-year-old novice in Naas in mid-February and we’ll go there and give him an entry in Cheltenham. We’ll see what happens with the handicapper.

“He stays all day. Cian (Quirke) was saying he needs to run in a better race because they are going too slow for him. He’s too free and needs a faster pace. He was always a good jumper but is jumping a bit high.

“I’ve never had a runner in Cheltenham so I might have one this year.”

Must Be Obeyed surprised Tom Gibney
Must Be Obeyed surprised Tom Gibney (PA)

Tom Gibney’s Must Be Obeyed caused an 18-1 upset in the Tote Always SP Or Better At Punchestown Beginners Chase.

“That’s a nice way to finish off the year. It’s been a bit up and down recently so we are delighted to get that anyway,” said Gibney.

“For all her antics beforehand and everything else, the racecourse is where she has always been the easiest. Once she gets out there and gets going she’s hundred per cent.

“I didn’t know if she was up to winning that to be honest. I knew she would love the ground and we’ve been looking to try her over a trip for a good while. Staying chasing is what we always hoped she would end up doing. I said to Darragh (O’Keeffe) going out it would be a fair test of stamina today and it suited her.

“She jumped well and looks a chaser. I’m not sure where we will go now but I’m delighted with today.”

Stattler leads latest Mullins challenge on Tramore feature

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Willie Mullins is bidding for a seventh win in eight years in the Savills New Year’s Day Chase at Tramore by fielding three of the five runners in the Grade Three race.

Hot on the heels of dominating Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting, the champion trainer will be hoping Stattler can emerge as a Gold Cup prospect.

Mullins used Tramore as a stepping stone to Gold Cup glory for Al Boum Photo, who won this race four years in a row, but his retirement means there will be a new name on the roll of honour.

Winner of the National Hunt Chase at Cheltenham in March, Stattler faces stablemates El Barra and Cilaos Emery and perhaps more pertinently Henry de Bromhead’s 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo.

“Stattler, Cilaos Emery and El Barra, the three of them will go down there,” said Mullins.

“Stattler was three from three last year and I just thought I’d go down there for softer ground and we’re going to get that down there.

“He’s in great form, but he’s up against it with Henry’s horse. I just thought it was a great place to be starting his season.

“I think he has (improved again). He’ll probably want a further trip, but two miles and five (furlongs) around there in heavy ground, the type of horses that are going to be down there, stamina is going to come into play and that’s his forte.

“It’s going to be a tough task for the other two. Cilaos Emery just might not handle that ground and El Barra has the benefit of a few runs but possibly the conditions of the race won’t suit him.”

Pat Griffin’s Roi Mage completes the field.

Hermes Allen all class in dominant Challow display

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Hermes Allen was a very easy winner of the Coral Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury, to give Paul Nicholls a third successive victory in the Grade One feature.

Following on from Bravemansgame and Stage Star, Hermes Allen had to prove he could handle deep ground on this occasion.

On paper at least, this year’s renewal looked as strong as any in recent memory – but Hermes Allen – who is co-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson – proved in a different league to all of his rivals.

Dan Skelton’s Vicki Vale tried to stretch the field and turning for home it looked as if she may have slipped them.

But a confident Harry Cobden stuck to the inside and as soon as Vicki Vale began to tire, Hermes Allen (11-10 favourite) was quickly left in the lead.

You Wear It Well fared best of the remainder with Jamie Snowden’s mare plugging on for second, but Cobden did not have to move a muscle on the impressive scorer.

He is now as short as 3-1 favourite for the Ballymore at Cheltenham with Coral.

Nicholls, winning the race for a fifth time in all – including with Denman in 2006 – was not on course as he was celebrating his landlord Paul Barber’s 80th birthday.

Speaking from Ditcheat he said: “I’m obviously thrilled with that.

Harry Cobden is all smiles as he returns on Hermes Allen
Harry Cobden is all smiles as he returns on Hermes Allen (Nigel French/PA)

“I was worried about the ground and the lads asked me what I wanted to do and I just said we didn’t know that he didn’t go on it so we had to kick on. As Harry said afterwards good horses go on any ground, he’s now won on quick ground and that ground.

“He’s not slow. He had been slow at home, but he’s waking up mentally and physically. He’s got it all really, he’s got everything you want in a good horse.”

Hermes Allen cost £350,000 after winning an Irish point in November 2021, but did not make his debut for Nicholls until October at Stratford.

“I promise you, the reason we went to Stratford first time out is because he’d shown us absolutely nothing at home,” said Nicholls.

“I thought it could have been embarrassing, but then he went and bolted in. That’s often the way with backward horses. We wanted to run him in the spring after we bought him, but he was so backward I didn’t want to embarrass anyone.

“I just kept saying we had to wait and now he’s maturing. Time never does these good horses any harm.

“I suspect we’ll go straight to Cheltenham now. There’s no real need to run him again, but the only option is the trial race in a month and then you have a nice gap until the Festival or you just go straight there. We’ll all have a chat.

“I don’t want to go to the well too often as he’ll have had a hard race on that ground today.”

Cobden said: “The way he goes through the race, he travels sweetly, so he is easy to ride. He jumps well. He is a very relaxed, rideable horse.

Hermes Allen gallops on relentlessly
Hermes Allen gallops on relentlessly (Nigel French/PA)

“Just going round this bend (in front of the stands), I took back off of him a little bit and then obviously turning in I tried to hug the inside as much as possible, as I don’t know if there is any better ground anywhere else around here. He is just a very good horse, isn’t he?

“He is the sort of mover that would suggest he would want better ground, but good ones will go through anything won’t they?

“All day, the ground has got worse and worse and worse. We took the right call and we’ve obviously got a good one on our hands.”

Also a co-owner is John Hales, who said: “We paid a lot of money for him and when he went to Paul Nicholls, Paul said ‘Look, I’m sorry, he isn’t showing anything’.

“I thought ‘Oh my God’, having talked Ged (Mason) and Alex into buying him. Then Paul said ‘He ain’t very big, either, you know, John’.

“So the race came at Stratford and Bryony Frost was on him. I said to her ‘If it’s our day, you can win – and you can get the critics off my back’. So she jumped off him and won, then she said ‘Have I won by enough?’. She won all right – by 28 lengths and he hasn’t looked back since!”

Honour has National ambition for Mandarin ace Grumpy Charley

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Grumpy Charley proved stamina is well and truly his forte with a doughty success in the Coral Racing Club Mandarin Handicap Chase at Newbury.

Trained by Chris Honour, the grey had won on the same card 12 months previously.

Upped in grade after that, he came up short against the likes of Bravemansgame, Corach Rambler and Sam Brown meaning he was running off a mark 2lb lower than last year.

That did not look like being enough, however, as Laskalin and Shanty Alley went clear approaching the second-last.

Bryan Carver was not about to give in, though, and Grumpy Charley began to gain with every stride and hit the front on landing after the last.

Shanty Alley tried in vain to get back on terms but he went down by three-quarters of a length to the 15-2 winner.

Honour said: “We think of him as a National horse. Over that trip, I don’t think the ground will need to be as important – he just needs to get into a rhythm.

“If they are going too fast for him, if they are going four miles, it is no big deal if you sit and hold your ground for a mile or so.

“He is brilliant. Absolute class. He hurt himself after wining here last year. Whether he really fully recovered from that, I don’t know.

“It wasn’t quite such a good run against Bravemansgame. He didn’t run badly, don’t get me wrong, but he is very good on his day. Watch him up the run-in – he had his ears pricked- there’s plenty left.”

He went on: “He switches off. It is the way they are at home. They are very relaxed. I live on Dartmoor, there’s nothing around me and they don’t need to worry about life. They get to enjoy it. They are real horses and they all know me – I know them better than anybody.

“We have 10 horses in, but I bred quite a few myself and we have babies coming up underneath.

“I’m very fortunate with Geoff Thompson (owner) – he supported me all through my riding career and he has carried on supporting me and it is lovely to repay him.

“It is my biggest win as a trainer, and we are going in the right direction.”

Bryan Carver has been in the wars of late
Bryan Carver has been in the wars of late (John Walton/PA)

Carver said: “His jumping throughout the race was so good, on ground like that I just wanted to take the opportunity to fill him up as often as I could.

“He was jumping so well that I could fill him up. He has done everything as I would have wanted. He’s jumped, travelled nicely and he’s relaxed as well, which is important in that sort of ground.

“I wouldn’t say the ground was key. He has run good races on good to soft, but I would say he is probably better on soft. On his day, he is a very nice horse.”

Gamaret does everything right on chasing bow

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When the mud is flying, so are Venetia Williams’ horses. That is an adage that invariably holds true and the King’s Caple handler recorded winner number 17 for the season when Gamaret made a winning seasonal and chasing bow at a rain-lashed Newbury.

Charlie Deutsch gave the Coastal Path gelding a polished ride and the 5-2 favourite went on to take the Coral First For Horse Racing Handicap Chase by two and a quarter lengths from Gallic Geordie, having jumped well throughout.

Gamaret, owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds, took a Fontwell maiden hurdle in February and was having his first run since.

Deutsch said: “The fences are quite big, they went a good gallop and the ground is testing. He handled it really well. He’s a nice horse for the future.”

Williams added: “It was only two miles and first time over fences, two miles at Newbury on more traditional, drier ground would have been sharp enough, so the rain slowed the pace down a bit.

“He is a nice horse, but we mustn’t get carried away as he was running off 115.”

Owner Andrew John is relatively new to racing, having sold his pump business in Port Talbot 18 months ago.

Midnight Ginger (8-1) has certainly kept his enthusiasm flowing, registering her fifth career success for trainer Andrew Martin, gamely fending off Lime Drop to score by a length and three-quarters under 7lb claimer James Martin in the two-and-a-half-mile mares’ handicap hurdle.

“It is fantastic,” said John. “I know nothing about racing at all. I’ve always been a casual fan. We’ve had her 14 months and she has done so well for us. She is so gutsy.

“I think Andy wants to put her over fences, but I know nothing about it. I’m a novice – beginner’s luck.”

Blenkinsop and Tom O'Brien power to victory in the mud
Blenkinsop and Tom O’Brien power to victory in the mud (Nigel French/PA)

Blenkinsop is becoming a force to be reckoned with over hurdles, registering a fourth successive victory for trainer Henry Daly in powering to an easy success in the extended two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle.

The progressive son of Westerner recoded a hat-trick with plenty to spare at Exeter a month ago and the 100-30 chance duly repeated the trick under Tom O’Brien.

The mud-splattered winning rider said: “There was one point where I couldn’t see where I was going.

“He is improving massively and Henry fancied him. I rode him like I had a lot of faith in him. I was going wide and a few lengths back and we didn’t go that quick early.

“He won at Exeter the last day and it would have been good to soft and you could see he would have preferred softer. He is best on soft, I’d say, but it is going heavy (ground) now.”

He added: “Henry is flying and is a very astute placer of horses and he gets the maximum out of what he’s got.”

Lily Pinchin is riding plenty of winners, with Tea For Free the latest. The Charlie Longsdon-trained gelding produced a fine round of jumping in the Coral-sponsored limited handicap chase and earned something of a marriage proposal from the winning rider.

Tea For Free was expertly steered by Lily Pinchin
Tea For Free was expertly steered by Lily Pinchin (Nigel French/PA)

After the 3lb claimer brought home the 7-1 chance for a fourth successive success, she said: “He is very routine and he is very clever. If he was a bloke I’d marry him!

“He is a lovely horse – he is so quick, he is so nimble, he’s so fast through the air. He is just a gentleman and does his work, eats his food, goes to bed, runs and wins.

“My aim always was to ride my claim out, but then I found a great guy and a great trainer in Charlie Longsdon. He has just supported me to the top and I am very, very lucky now – I have great trainers around me.

“I’d love to ride for as long as I could, but you need the support and at the moment, I am very lucky I have that support. Long may it continue, long may it last.”

Happygolucky day in store at Cheltenham for Bailey

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Kim Bailey believes ground conditions are the key to Happygolucky’s chance in the Paddy Power New Year’s Day Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

The son of Jeremy has won three of his six starts over fences to date, with his most recent triumph coming in a Grade Three handicap on the undercard of the 2021 Grand National at Aintree.

A subsequent injury kept Happygolucky on the sidelines for 18 months, but he proved his ability remains very much intact with an excellent comeback effort when third in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.

That form looks rock solid in light of results over the Christmas period, with the winner L’Homme Presse booked for second in the King George at Kempton before unseating his rider at the final fence, while the runner-up Into Overdrive went one better in the Rowland Meyrick at Wetherby.

Happygolucky steps down in trip for his latest assignment and Bailey is hoping the heavens open at Prestbury Park ahead of Cheltenham’s £100,000 handicap.

He said: “I’ve been happy with him since Newcastle and the more rain we can get the better. We’re going back in trip and I’d prefer proper soft ground.

“He’s come out of Newcastle very well. That was a good run and the form has worked out.”

Happygolucky is one of 17 runners declared for the extended two-and-a-half-mile contest, with Dan Skelton’s Midnight River and the Paul Nicholls-trained Il Ridoto two of the market principals after finishing third and fourth respectively in November’s Paddy Power Gold Cup at the track.

Nicholls also saddles the seventh from that prestigious handicap in Simply The Betts.

Il Ridoto at Newbury
Il Ridoto at Newbury (Steven Paston/PA)

“Il Ridoto finished a decent fourth in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and missed out when the December Gold Cup at Cheltenham was abandoned with the rest of Cheltenham’s Saturday card,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“The three in front of him in the Paddy Power all had the advantage of a previous run and he would have been close but for making a mistake at the last fence. He has improved for that run and will enjoy easier ground at Cheltenham.

“Simply The Betts gave David Maxwell a great spin in the Paddy Power. They were handy the whole way, in touch with the leaders before tiring on the flat after being hampered.

“Simply The Betts is one of ours who is still probably 10lb too high in the handicap, but he has won twice at the track and always runs his race. He is sure to give David another exciting ride.”

Other leading contenders include Brave Seasca, an impressive last time out winner at Aintree for Venetia Williams, and Ben Pauling’s recent Exeter scorer Shakem Up’Arry – owned by former football manager Harry Redknapp.

Pauling said: “He definitely stayed two and a half at Exeter last time for the first time in his career and we’re leaving the tongue-tie on.

“He’s been in good order at home and we’re looking forward to seeing how he fares in a decent handicap for the first time.”

The Sam Thomas-trained Stolen Silver, who unseated when favourite for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, also returns the Cotswolds, while Joe Tizzard saddles both War Lord and Lostintranslation.

Jupiter Du Gite impresses at Newbury, as Jet Powered beaten

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Jet Powered was beaten at prohibitive odds at Newbury – but there appeared to be no fluke about the 66-1 success of Gary Moore’s Jupiter Du Gite.

Nicky Henderson’s Jet Powered was sent off the 2-7 favourite having been hugely impressive on his first outing and was prominent in the ante-post betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Everything appeared to be going according to plan for Nico de Boinville’s mount in the Coral Racing Club Join For Free ‘Introductory’ Hurdle as he tracked Jupiter Du Gite, Moore’s apparent second string behind Inneston, through the first mile and a half.

But when they turned into the straight and Niall Houlihan injected further pace from the front, Jet Powered was soon floundering on rain-softened ground and by the third-last he was making no impression.

In contrast Jupiter Du Gite galloped on relentlessly, winning by 15 lengths from Klitschko, who stayed on from the rear to claim second ahead of Inneston.

The winner was introduced into Betfair’s market for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at 16-1, with the same firm trimming Marine Nationale into 11-2 from 8-1. Favourite Facile Vega hardened into 8-11 from evens.

“If you’d have given me any money to back him, I’d have put it in my pocket,” said Moore, who has another Cheltenham Festival target in mind.

“It must be the weight difference. I am totally shell-shocked. The horse is cranky – he’s mad in the head. He has behaved himself impeccably today, except when I saddled him – he went through the roof twice in the saddling-up box.

Jupiter Du Gite put in some big leaps on his way round
Jupiter Du Gite put in some big leaps on his way round (Nigel French/PA)

“(I don’t know) whether he has got an easy lead in front, or whether he loves bad, bad ground.

“I watched the replays of his races in France and one was a trotting race, pulled by a car. I thought why have they done that? They could only have done that to settle him down. He has won pulling a car today, hasn’t he!

“He goes out on his own every day. He wears a hood, has cotton wool in his ears, he has a hood on. He is a complete enigma.

“I thought Inneston would win. I honestly thought he would win. The favourite didn’t worry me. He is a good horse.

“But this horse is a very busy horse at home and is probably fitter than Inneston is – he probably needed that run today and in time he will be a very nice horse. That horse, to do what he has done to that lot, is amazing.”

He went on: “He is a half-brother to Editeur Du Gite (Desert Orchid Chase winner), who likes quick ground.

“I said to the owner (Alan Jamieson), we would have to go into the Triumph on that display. He has to go left-handed – he can’t go right-handed. I’m shell-shocked, I really am. I am so pleased for Alan. He is a good owner, he never moans and has had a terrible season with other horses, who have been so disappointing. I thought, if this horse gets round today, it would be a miracle.”

Of Inneston, he added: “I hope the reason is that he was just a little bit short of work after 440 days off. The weather didn’t help, but he is a very nice horse. We will find a small novice hurdle for him next.”

Marie’s ready to rock on Cheltenham return

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Dual Grade One winner Marie’s Rock returns to action on Sunday in a high-class renewal of the careers@dornangroup.com Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Trained by Nicky Henderson, the Middleham Park Racing-owned mare returned from a spell in the doldrums to cause something of a surprise in the David Nicholson Hurdle at the Festival in March before proving that was no fluke by beating stablemate Epatante at Punchestown.

She is taking on geldings on her return to action, but this has always been the plan with the major spring festivals foremost in the mind of connections.

“Last year was very special indeed. I’m not sure if we’d won a graded race before so for her to go and win two Grade Ones and be crowned leading hurdler at The McCoys topped it off,” said Middleham Park’s Tom Palin.

“I think it meant that bit more to the members as we went through a significant down with her, we lost her and just couldn’t get her right.

“It’s hugely exciting she’s back, but things will be harder this year with penalties which is why she hasn’t been out until now. There were no issues, this was always the plan and time will tell if it was right our wrong.

“She’s got two crowns to defend this season and it has been very much the plan to work backwards from them. This was the logical target and it has been for six months.

“Her work at home has been excellent, as well as she has ever worked Nicky reported, and Nico (de Boinville) texted me the other day to say how much he was looking forward to riding her again.

Connections of Marie’s Rock celebrate after winning the Mares' Hurdle
Connections of Marie’s Rock celebrate after winning the Mares’ Hurdle (Nigel French/PA)

“She requires a career-best to win this, though, because with the International Hurdle not being rearranged a few have rerouted here. I’ve been involved in racing for 15 years and I can’t remember this race ever looking as strong as it does this year.

“On the figures, with her allowance she should be bang there. It looks a very tight race but it is the first time we are taking geldings on in Pattern company. It will be interesting to see how the 7lb transfers. On a line through Epatante and Stormy Ireland, who won this last year, we should be involved.

“We’re going there thinking we’ve got a chance but so will be the connections of Knappers Hill, I Like To Move It and Nicky’s other runner, First Street. I wouldn’t swap ours, though.”

Knappers Hill is on a four-race winning streak and comfortably saw off Sceau Royal in the Elite Hurdle last time out, for which he must shoulder a penalty.

Knappers Hill is on a winning streak
Knappers Hill is on a winning streak (Nigel French/PA)

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls had aimed him at the International Hurdle but the meeting was frozen off so now he is stepping up in trip.

Nicholls told Betfair: “Knappers Hill is in great form, it’s a shame the meeting didn’t go ahead the other day when the ground was good.

“There is rain forecast but good to soft will be fine for him. He’s very well. It’s a good-looking race but hopefully he’ll run very well.”

Brewin’upastorm has never had much luck at Cheltenham but Olly Murphy is not afraid to send him back to Prestbury Park once more.

“It is an extremely competitive renewal of the race especially after the abandonment of the International Hurdle at the track earlier this month,” said Murphy.

“On his day he is very good. I felt he needed the run badly at Ascot and I’m looking forward to running him in this.

“If he turns up with his A game I think he has an each-way chance, but he is in good form.

“I feel we have a bit of unfinished business here. He has been to Cheltenham four times and finished rider-less on three of them including when falling at the last in this race 12 months ago.

“I felt on two of those occasions he would have won, while what would have happened in the Arkle I’m not sure.

“He deserves a race like this but this is probably the most competitive race, bar his Grade Ones at Aintree, that he has run in for a while. If he gets everything go right, he should go well.”