'We've got a horse that's a stone better at Cheltenham' - Jeffreys aiming high

Wednesday: Leicester

Trainer David Jeffreys has major handicap targets in store for Lively Citizen after the seven-year-old quickly made amends for his mishap at Cheltenham on Saturday.

Lively Citizen was 9-2 joint-favourite to make it back-to-back wins at Cheltenham before being pulled up by Archie Bellamy due to a slipped saddle, but there was no repeat of any drama as the pair took the 1m7½f handicap hurdle by half a length.

Jeffreys said: "It was obviously very unfortunate what happened at Cheltenham, but you can only blame the trainer in those situations. I was delighted by that today. He’s never going to win by a million miles but he’s got a great tenacious attitude."

The narrow success came off a mark of 117, with Jeffreys hoping a return to his gelding’s favoured track for the County Hurdle can be made a realistic aim by the handicapper.

He said: "I’ve got a few ideas. I'll just have to wait and see what the handicapper does, then react to that. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever wanted the handicapper to put me up.

David Jeffreys: hoping for some help from the handicapper with Lively CitizenCredit: Edward Whitaker

"The bottom line is, we’ve got a horse that’s a stone better at Cheltenham – and they do exist – but they don’t come along very often."

Paddy Power last year offered a £50,000 bonus to any horse who won the Imperial Cup and any race at the Cheltenham Festival. Jeffreys revealed that a tilt at Sandown’s £100,000 handicap on March 12 was likely.

"I’d love to win the Imperial Cup and then rock into Cheltenham with a penalty," said Jeffreys.

The Stow-On-The-Wold trainer was denied a double as his other runner on the card, Gerolamo Cardano, chased home 40-1 shot Turning Gold in the 2m4½f handicap hurdle.

The surprise winner was ridden by Gavin Sheehan and was trainer Robert Bevis’s third success of the season.

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