New rider booked for Santini as Nico de Boinville partners Shishkin at Doncaster

Aidan Coleman has picked up the plum spare ride aboard Santini in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday with Nico de Boinville heading to Doncaster instead to ride the Arkle favourite Shishkin.

Coleman will take over from De Boinville on the nine-year-old in the Paddy Power-backed Grade 2 contest and is another big-race ride on the day for the jockey alongside former Stayers' Hurdle Hero Paisley Park, who will bid for a third successive win in the Cleeve Hurdle.

However, Cheltenham's festival trials card must pass a 2pm inspection on Friday to go ahead, with areas of the track waterlogged and the ground currently heavy, standing water in places.

Last year's Cheltenham Gold Cup second Santini will bid for successive wins in the race and heads a star-studded field of eight, which includes last year's second and three-time Betfair Chase victor Bristol De Mai, former Gold Cup hero Native River and Ryanair Chase second Saint Calvados.

Last year's Cotswold Chase one-two Santini (right) and Bristol De Mai (left) have been declared for Saturday's contest, but Cheltenham must pass an inspection on Friday first.Credit: Alan Crowhurst

Nicky Henderson's number one jockey De Boinville will maintain his partnership with Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Shishkin and is one of five declarations for the Lightning Novices' Chase as he bids to extend his unbeaten chase record to three.

He will face four other rivals in Doncaster's Grade 2 heat in his prep run for the Sporting Life Arkle, for which he is a best-priced 5-6 favourite.

A total of 13 was declared for Doncaster's feature race of the day, the Sky Bet Handicap Chase, which are headlined by ante-post favourite Cap Du Nord and Rowland Meyrick winner Canelo, while the race has been confirmed as the second preference for Yorkhill, who is also declared in the Cotswold Chase.

Read through the declarations for Doncaster's Saturday card

Paisley Park headlines a field of six for the Cleeve Hurdle and is 4-7 favourite for a hat-trick of victories in the contest. He will face Grade 1-winning chaser Itchy Feet and Main Fact – who was defeated by Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle last time.

Bear Ghylls bids to continue his rise through the ranks and is one of six declared for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, while Nassalam will aim to get back to winning ways in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial as one of four declared.

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