'We hope he'll go to the very top as a chaser' - I Like To Move It starts over fences at Uttoxeter

I Like To Move It, Britain's best two-mile hurdler aside from Constitution Hill last season, starts his new career over fences at Uttoxeter on Sunday, with trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies hoping he will progress into one of the leading novice chasers this term.

Anne-Marie and Jamie Shepperd's six-year-old achieved a Racing Post Rating of 164 when thrashing Knappers Hill by 17 lengths in the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton in February, a mark bettered only by Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill, while he also landed the Greatwood Hurdle off top weight at the start of last season.

I Like To Move It proved no match for Constitution Hill in the Champion Hurdle and Aintree Hurdle and will be campaigned as a novice chaser, starting in the three-runner Andy's Man Club Novices' Chase (2.45).

Twiston-Davies expects I Like To Move It to be tough to beat despite taking on smart opposition in Pembroke – second at Grade 2 level and a beaten County Hurdle favourite – and the Olly Murphy-trained Chasing Fire, who is 4-6 in his career. 

The trainer said: "Going chasing is the natural progression really. He jumps brilliantly and we're hoping he'll go to the very top as a chaser. We've always wanted to go over fences, we buy all these horses to be chasers and we're hopeful he'll be better for it.

"We'll get this out the way before we think of anything else, but I'm hoping he'll be in all those top novice races – he's a very good horse. He's 20lb well-in there so I'm hoping he'll be alright. We couldn't be happier with him going into it."

Twiston-Davies heads into the day in excellent form, having recorded doubles at Warwick on Thursday and Fontwell on Saturday.

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