Robbie Power: Lostintranslation has what it takes to compete with the big boys

Robbie Power is concerned that last season’s staying novice chasers might not be as good as they were widely perceived to be at the time – but still feels Lostintranslation will prove the exception.

Speaking to the Racing Post at his home in County Meath in the aftermath of the Colin Tizzard-trained chaser’s reappearance win at Carlisle, Power said he would be surprised to see him beaten in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in two weeks.

However, the jockey added: "He hasn't stepped into the big boys' league yet. That was a second-season novices' race at Carlisle. Delta Work stepped into the big boys' league at Down Royal and failed. La Bague Au Roi stepped into the big boys' league at Wetherby and failed. They both failed dramatically, so that is in the back of my mind when looking at last year's staying novices.

"I used to get very excited about novices. Too excited. I remember when Bostons Angel won the RSA, I thought he'd go on to win the Gold Cup, but he wasn't close to a Gold Cup horse. Now I'm that bit older I understand how big a step up it is.

"They go a completely different pace. It's a team going from the Championship to the Premier League. He gives me the feel that he is ready for it, though."

Power also delivered an update on his 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Sizing John.

"He went to the Curragh last week for a gallop, went two miles and was great after it. But he probably won't run until Christmas, so by the time he comes out, he'll be two years off the track. That's touch wood and fingers crossed that everything goes okay with him.”

Read more from Robbie Power in Sunday’s Big Read, available to racingpost.com members from 6pm on Saturday