Ambitious Woollacott considering Ryanair Chase for enigmatic Lalor

Kayley Woollacott is likely to make a Ryanair Chase entry for her enigmatic stable star Lalor after being left encouraged and frustrated in equal measure by the eight-year-old's narrow defeat at Cheltenham on New Year's Day.

The former Grade 1 Aintree novice hurdle winner lost his way over fences last season after a smart debut success in the Racing Post Arkle Trophy Trial Novices' Chase at Cheltenham, where he beat subsequent Grade 1 winner Dynamite Dollars in style.

His third in Cheltenham's Paddy Power Handicap Chase, when he was beaten in a finish of noses by Oldgrangewood and Saint Calvados, was a huge step back in the right direction, but Woollacott has gone nearly a year without a winner so can be excused a sense of frustration.

Watch Lalor finish third in a thrilling bob of heads for the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Cheltenham

She said: "To be honest it was all a bit of a learning curve, and if he hadn't performed there we would have put him back over hurdles.

"He rallied very well and did everything but win, so we were delighted with him but gutted at the same time. He has up and down days and is a bit of an enigma, but when he's good he's good."

She added: "I think his comeback in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter had been better than people gave him credit for, as he made up a lot of ground from the bottom of the hill.

"That was a factor in going up in trip with him, and we'd had Yogi Breisner out to look at his jumping as he's always very good at home but sometimes lacks a bit of confidence on the racecourse.

"We'd thought before about cheekpieces, and Yogi felt they would help him focus on the fences. Aidan [Coleman] gave him a lovely ride."

Lalor is a 33-1 outsider for a Ryanair Chase in which the market is headed by Defi Du Seuil, Min and A Plus Tard, but if he sidesteps the race it will not be his odds that will have deterred Woollacott.

Kayley Woollacott: 'The Ryanair Chase sounds quite ambitious, but we've been ambitious before and it's paid off'Credit: Getty Images

She said: "I'm not sure if he will go to the festival or if we will try to find something else, then go to Aintree. The Ryanair Chase sounds quite ambitious, but we've been ambitious before and it's paid off.

"Until he went to Aintree and won the Grade 1 he'd never won over hurdles, but he wasn't out of place there."

Woollacott had a second at Exeter the same day with The Kings Writ. She said: "He's run his heart out but he's gone up about 30lb since he went handicapping and always seems to bump into one.

"I just want to get one home in front. It's been frustrating as a lot of ours are young horses who will be longer-term projects, but they are obviously in good form. It would just be nice to have a race fall our way."

Kalashnikov was found to have bled after his disappointing effort in Lalor's race. The seven-year-old was beaten only a nose by Oldgrangewood at Newbury in November, but was a long way adrift of the same rival at Cheltenham when beaten 37 lengths in eighth, having been sent off the 3-1 favourite.

Trainer Amy Murphy said: "He bled but he'll live to fight another day. He'll have a couple of easy weeks and there's no immediate thoughts or plans with him."

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