Topofthegame camp set sights on Ladbrokes Trophy after Mildmay disappointment

Topofthegame may have disappointed as odds-on favourite in the Mildmay but he remains one of the most exciting chasers in training and connections are already dreaming of next season's Ladbrokes Trophy.

Might Bite remains the only horse to do the RSA Chase/Mildmay double in the last ten years and trainer Paul Nicholls was quickly over his latest star's apparent flop.

"It didn't work out quite how I hoped," he admitted. "He probably ran a bit flat and got a little bit out of position – it didn't happen how I wanted it to exactly.

"We thought he'd travel a bit stronger but he travelled only okay, and then he got a bit behind down the back and you can't win from there with a horse like him, as what he does is stay.

"He's run a nice race and they can often run like that at this time of year. He'll come back and run in the Hennessy."

Part-owner Chris Giles is more than up for that and said: "Next year's another year and he's improving. I think the winner was super, he's a proper horse, and he's one of five or six in the novice division who'll be there or thereabouts next season.

"Hopefully Topofthegame's one of them. I think the novices coming through are potentially better than the older horses, with the exception of the Gold Cup winner [Al Boum Photo], so we'll all have our expectations next season.

"The Hennessy's an obvious race; if it was my choice I'd rather go there than the King George, then maybe the Denman Chase, then the Gold Cup, but I'll leave that to the trainer."

Topofthegame may not face a rematch with Lostintranslation in the Ladbrokes Trophy as Colin Tizzard, who has won two of the last three editions of the Newbury race, is concerned about the weight the Mildmay winner would have to carry.

He said: "We're not going to run him again now. We've got to campaign him as a Gold Cup horse next year. He could go to Haydock, but I don't want to run them all there. There aren't many choices for these 170 horses, but you could see him in a King George any day of the week. We'll be thinking about it all summer."

If Lostintranslation makes it to the King George he could meet Waiting Patiently, who was unlucky to unseat his rider at Kempton, although Ruth Jefferson admitted she will do things differently next term.

"He came in late because of a leg injury and went to Kempton first time, which is one of those things you don't do apparently," said the trainer.

"He'll come back in July, instead of August, and he'll canter instead of going on the horsewalker. We'll be ready for the good races early on."

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