Is it worth keeping the faith in Down Memory Lane for Elliott and Walsh despite Sandown setback?

At the start of the season Lecky Watson presumably wasn't high in the pecking order of the novice chasers at Closutton, but a success over Supreme Novices' Hurdle winner Slade Steel on his first start over fences has seen him emerge as a live candidate for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. 

Having been available at 100-1 for that with a few firms beforehand, he was slashed to 16-1 with Paddy Power afterwards and victory here could see that price shorten further. 

Having been keen and not giving his obstacles much respect over hurdles, Lecky Watson looked a reformed character over fences at Naas. He settled beautifully in the hands of Paul Townend and jumped with accuracy on the way to defeating Slade Steel by a length and a quarter. 

Should he get a freebie up front here, he will once again be very hard to catch. He stays a lot further than this, too, given he was fifth in the Albert Bartlett last season, but surely some of the Cullentra camp will make sure he doesn't get it all his own way at the head of affairs. 

Down Memory Lane looked far more comfortable when making his own running at Navan on his first start over fences, a beginners' chase he won by seven lengths. He was held up in the Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown last time and was unable to land a glove on Arkle hope L'Eau Du Sud when it mattered. Perhaps a switch back to more positive tactics might work here. 

Lecky Watson: made a winning start over fencesCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

He would appear the pick of the Elliott team if on song. As we saw early on in his career, Down Memory Lane is a talented operator when things go his way. That aforementioned beginners' chase win at Navan earned him a Racing Post Rating of 148, which was 11lb higher than what Lecky Watson got at Naas. He's dangerous. 

Farren Glory seemed to be beaten fair and square in a Grade 2 at Punchestown last time. Stablemate Touch Me Not jumped like a gazelle at the head of affairs and he could never get on terms. The step up in trip here should suit. 

Search For Glory has taken really well to fences and his third to Impaire Et Passe in a Grade 1 at Limerick over Christmas is solid form. He will need this to be more of a stamina test than a speed examination, though. 

Ifiwerearichman picked up the pieces late in a novice chase at Punchestown last time but, with a mark of 132, has a bit to find on the figures. 

Lecky Watson has been unsurprisingly installed as favourite but, if the Down Memory Lane we saw at Navan shows up, he could have too much speed for him.

What they say 

Gordon Elliott, trainer of Down Memory Lane, Farren Glory and Search For Glory
I suppose we were a little bit disappointed with Down Memory Lane at Sandown. Things didn't go according to plan for him there and he didn't jump as well as we know he can. Hopefully he will be more fluent here and you'd like to think he has a great chance. Farren Glory couldn't get to Touch Me Not at Punchestown, but still ran well enough and we're stepping him up in trip here, which shouldn't be a problem. Search For Glory ran a big race in the Grade 1 at Limerick and shouldn't be too far away here if able to reproduce that sort of effort.

Paul Townend, rider of Lecky Watson
He settled well at Naas and I thought that was a very good performance. It looked a good race on the day and he found plenty when I asked him. I hoped he would improve for the switch to fences and that certainly looked the case at Naas. He hopefully goes there with a great chance.

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