'The horse I've been waiting for all my life' - Dave Crosse's Rehearsal hope

3.20 NewcastleBetfair Rehearsal Handicap Chase (Listed) | 2m7½f | ITV/SKY

Who needs Miracle On 34th Street on the Sky Christmas channel? The feelgood story of the season could be playing out on ITV on Saturday afternoon.

Dave Crosse, who last year was told he would never ride again, bids for the richest win of his career on Grand National hope Kilfilum Cross – "the horse of a lifetime" – in the Betfair Rehearsal Chase.

Dave Crosse: I was told I'd never ride again – I like proving people wrong

The jockey ended a losing run stretching back to March with a double at Hereford on Wednesday and cannot wait for a race that has been the target for his mount since the spring.

"This is a horse I've been waiting for all my life," he said. "He loves soft ground and he's a proper stayer. He's a real big horse, built to carry weight, jump fences and gallop in the mud.

"He had a nice run over an inadequate trip at Stratford last time. I schooled him on Monday and he's in great order."

Crosse, 37, admits victory would mean more to him than when he landed the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase on The Bushkeeper as a teenager in 2002.

"I'd be fairly excited if he could get his head in front," the jockey said. "I had a winner at the Cheltenham Festival when I was 19 but when you're younger and everything's going well you think it's going to happen every day of the week."

Things have not always gone well since and Crosse suffered "as bad an injury as you can get to your shoulder" in the summer of 2018.

He was back in action within five months thanks to a "serious job" by surgeon Geoff Graham and the man who reckons to have "broken nearly every body part you can possibly break" has no intention of giving up to concentrate on his thriving hospitality business.

"I'm a long way from retiring," he stressed. "When I was off last year I was earning good money running my hospitality business but I still couldn't wait to get back. I work at 16 racecourses and they all know riding is my number one priority."

Dave Crosse wins on Kilfilum Cross in his hurdling daysCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

The immediate priority is to land a £70,000 chase he and trainer Henry Oliver have long had in mind.

"We picked this race out eight months ago," he said. "We wanted to win a nice handicap with him. He could have gone for the Ladbrokes Trophy but this cuts up most years and three miles in the mud is what he wants.

"The plan was one run, then the Rehearsal, the Welsh National, a little break and then a run over hurdles before the Grand National.

"So far it's all going along nicely. I had two probably unexpected winners on Wednesday at Hereford and Henry's had a couple of winners as well, so jockey and trainer are in form and going there with a massive chance, we hope."

Alexander hopeful for likely Lad

How much of a good thing was the progressive Lake View Lad off a BHA rating of 139 in this race last year?

He went on to defy a mark of 147 in the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby and finish a close third off 155 in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham – and Henry Brooke's mount is now expected to give another good account off 156 back at Newcastle.

Watch Lake View Lad win this race last year

"He's in cracking form and this is a nice race to start him in," said Nick Alexander, who trains Lake View Lad for Trevor Hemmings.

"He had other options in the Ladbrokes Trophy and the Becher Chase but this is a great prize, we know he likes the track and he shouldn't mind the ground.

"He ran three really good races last season, then things didn't quite go to plan in the Grand National. I hope he can progress again this season, I hope there is still a little upside with him."

The topweight gives 5lb to Charlie Hall Chase fifth Top Ville Ben, who has his first run in a handicap over fences.

"He has a lot of weight in heavy ground but I hope he'd have a decent chance," said trainer Phil Kirby.

"He ran great for a long way in the Charlie Hall and was the last horse off the bridle. I'm hoping he just needed the run."

Jonniesofa was a 16-length winner at Ayr on his return from a 672-day break and trainer Rose Dobbin said: "I'm really excited. He'll love the ground and I hope he'll run a big race.

"He's in great order and came out of Ayr absolutely fine. That was an amazing performance. He was put up 9lb but that was probably understandable."

Captain Chaos was second to Lake View Lad here and at Wetherby last season and trainer Dan Skelton said: "We’ve had this race in mind for a long time. He has no weight and will like the very testing ground. He’s always slow to get going at the start of the season. I think he’s got a good each-way chance."

Micky Hammond is hoping a change of jockey will help Lachlan Bridge. "He had some good form in France but he didn't jump off last time," he said. "We could do with him getting off on level terms and we've put a hood on him and Becky Smith, who rides him a lot at home, will be on him."

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