Ruth Jefferson eyeing soft ground and shorter distances for Waiting Patiently

High-class chaser Waiting Patiently, a Grade 1 winner over 2m5f in 2018, could drop back in trip this season.

Ruth Jefferson is eyeing races over a shorter trip for the eight-year-old, who was unbeaten over fences until hampered and unseating Brian Hughes at halfway in the 3m King George VI Chase at Kempton last term, including next month's Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter.

The mudlark's trainer said: "I'm going to let the ground dictate where I go rather than make a specific plan. The softer the ground is, we could come back in trip.

"Brian says he's a very strong traveller, he never feels like he's really out of second gear whatever trip you run him over. If the ground was very soft or heavy I wouldn't be afraid to try him back at two miles."

Asked about another possible crack at the King George, Jefferson said: "We haven't completely written it off but we didn't find out whether he stayed three miles last season and rather than chuck him in a soft-ground three-mile race and pull the guts out of him, we thought we'd maybe pull him back in trip if the ground is soft."

Ten months on, Hughes still feels the pain of his mount's Kempton departure and said: "I'm not reduced to tears much but I can tell you that walk back from the last was a long walk.

"A couple of good jockeys came to me afterwards and said, 'Jeez, we were going quick over the first four fences', and I genuinely felt we were doing a hack canter. He felt in brilliant shape that day."

Waiting Patiently was below his very best form in two subsequent runs and Hughes said: "For me he didn't feel the same on his next two runs and rightly he wasn't over-raced. He's a horse with low mileage so he's got every chance to come back and dine at the top table."

Waiting Patiently paraded at the launch of the Yorkshire jumps season at Wetherby, where Definitly Red galloped in preparation for his bid to repeat last year's win in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase.

Top Ville Ben, a dual course-and-distance winner in novice company, also had a workout in preparation for their November 2 clash and trainer Philip Kirby said: "It's all systems go. He deserves to take his chance. He loves it here and more rain will play into his hands. Whether he's quite good enough, we'll find out."

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