Nicholls hoping for grey day as Politologue embarks on Champion trail in Shloer

2.25 Cheltenham
Shloer Chase | 2m | Grade 2 | ITV4/RTV

Altior has dominated the two-mile chasing division but his days as a two-mile chaser may be over. That makes the Shloer Chase all the more interesting, with Politologue and Defi Du Seuil heading the market for a Sunday special that could tell us if Altior has an heir apparent in Britain.

The Willie Mullins-trained Chacun Pour Soi is Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase favourite with a number of firms, but owner John Hales can point to Politologue having got within a length and three-quarters of Altior when second over the Shloer course and distance in March.

That was a big effort – and the fact the grey won on his seasonal reappearance in 2016, 2017 and 2018 suggests a similarly strong performance could be due now.

Politologue (right), beat everything except Altior in the 2019 Champion ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

Trainer Paul Nicholls said: "He loves the ground and is always good first time out, so I think he'll run very well. However, he is en route to the Tingle Creek, so this is a prep race.

"He had a wind op in the summer and I'm hoping it might improve him a bit. He looks as well as he has ever looked and if he runs as well as he did in the Champion Chase he'll be hard to beat."

Defi Du Seuil already has two Cheltenham Festival wins to his name. The 2017 Triumph Hurdle hero was too quick for Lostintranslation in last season's JLT Novices' Chase but he then found Chacun Pour Soi much too good over two miles at Punchestown.

Following a tame effort first time out last term, Defi Du Seuil tackles this £75,000 feature off the back of two racecourse gallops.

Defi Du Seuil and Barry Geraghty return after winning last season's JLT Novices' ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He has done plenty – you don't want to go into a race like this half-cocked," said trainer Philip Hobbs. "I'm very open-minded what we do with him this season but I'm very pleased we've got testing ground for this race."

The gruelling conditions persuaded Harry Whittington to switch Saint Calvados – a two-mile handicap chase winner at last month's meeting – away from the BetVictor Gold Cup.

Trainer Harry Whittington said: "He's in great form and it's a hot race, but he's rated 159, which puts us in the mix and we're not far away, although we do have to improve to win.

"Everyone was discounting Cheltenham for him until he won there last time, but I never felt it was the track that was beating him – he was just running in big races and things didn't fall right."

Although Simply Ned has never won at Cheltenham he has plenty of course experience – and almost all of it in this contest. The 12-year-old has lined up in the last four Shloers, starting off with a fourth to Sprinter Sacre in 2015. Since then he has finished second, fourth and second, while he was also fourth on his seasonal return at Kelso.

"He definitely knows what week it is," said trainer Nicky Richards. "He has tightened up since his comeback run. He's in grand order and ready for action."

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