'He's as good as ever' - Bristol De Mai connections weigh up weekend options

Nigel Twiston-Davies insists Bristol De Mai remains as good as he has ever been as he readies the popular veteran for his weekend big-race assignment at either Haydock or Lingfield.

The 12-year-old holds entries in the Peter Marsh Chase (2.40) at the Merseyside track on Saturday and could bid to win the Grade 2 handicap for a second time, having landed it in 2017, or contest the Fleur De Lys Chase (2.00) at Lingfield's Winter Million meeting a day later.

Bristol De Mai finished third in the inaugural running of the Fleur De Lys last year, but has a brilliant record at Haydock, where he has won six of his nine starts including three Betfair Chases and a Grand National Trial, alongside his Peter Marsh Chase success six years ago.

Twiston-Davies will make a decision in the coming days with owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede about his weekend target.

"He's in really good form at home. I haven't seen the entries or gone through them just yet so we'll look again later in the week and see where we're going then," the trainer said.

"He seems to be as good as ever and we all know that he'll have no problem with the heavy ground wherever he goes.

"He's been with us nearly nine years now and is still running really well. He's been such a lovely horse for his owners and I'll have a chat with them about where we are later in the week."

I Like To Move It: set to run in Haydock's Champion Hurdle Trial Race on SaturdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Greatwood Hurdle winner I Like To Move It will head to Haydock and drops back to two miles for The New One Unibet Hurdle (2.05) – named after Twiston-Davies' previous star hurdler – following his disappointing sixth in the Relkeel Hurdle on New Year's Day.

Twiston-Davies added: "He's going really nicely at home at the moment. It'll be his first time on heavy ground so it'll be interesting to see how he handles it. The step up in trip to two and a half miles didn't suit him last time so we're coming back down in trip with him."

The going at Haydock is currently heavy following 54mm of rain in the last week and the track is braced for the incoming cold weather which has already claimed meetings at Chepstow on Tuesday and Newbury on Wednesday.

Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright said on Tuesday morning: "I'd say we're around even money to race. We had a frost last night, down to -3C. All the at-risk areas are covered but a worn track freezes much more readily than fresh ground.

"We are forecast to get frosts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights but to stay above zero on Friday."

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