Regal Encore bids to get back on National trail for hopeful Honeyball
Regal Encore will be one of four Randox Health Grand National entries to face the starter in a field of six for the Keltbray Swinley Chase (2.25 ITV4/RUK), which has to be considered slightly light on numbers for a £75,000 race.
This season has been something of a curate's egg for Regal Encore, with a fine third-placed effort in the Ladbrokes Trophy sandwiched in between two poor efforts at Ascot.
Anthony Honeyball said: "He ran an absolute screamer in the Ladbroke off 150, finishing nine lengths behind the Willie Mullins horse [Total Recall]. We thought he went into Ascot in great form but maybe he’d had a hard race at Newbury.
"Hopfully he will cope with the soft ground and he stays very well so we’re hopeful he will run well. Tomorrow will dictate whether he goes to the Midland National or skip that and go straight to Aintree."
Venture on a roll for Bailey and Maggie's Cancer Charity
One of two not to hold the National entry, Another Venture will be a high-profile ride for 5lb claimer Mikey Hamill, after a late switch of plan left David Bass with no time to make the weight.
Another Venture is leased to Racing for Maggie's, a partnership which aims to raise funds for the Cheltenham Maggie's Cancer Centre and has collected £20,000 to date.
Novices to the fore again in handicap company
Seven days ago the Betfair Hurdle was won by novice Kalashnikov and, if the market has got it right, the Ascot Spring Garden Show Handicap Hurdle (3.00 ITV4/RUK) could be another valuable prize to go to the younger brigade.
Dieg Man won a handicap at Auteuil before joining Neil Mulholland, who has sent the JP McManus recruit out to win novice hurdles with ease at Sedgefield and Catterick.
"He’s run a couple of nice races up in the north and this will tell us a lot more about what we’ve got," said Mulholland. "He seems versatile ground-wise and it’s the first time Barry [Geraghty] has ridden him so it will be interesting to see what he makes of him."
"He has never run on ground this soft but I don’t think it’s something we should be afraid of and I think he has a very progressive profile," said Pauling. "All the races he has run in have worked out well and he is not an awfully long way off being a very nice novice hurdler."
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Published on 16 February 2018inPreviews
Last updated 15:36, 17 February 2018
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