Un Temps Pour Tout a hurdles possible as prep for Hennessy

Un Temps Pour Tout, winner of the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, heads a strong entry at Aintree on Saturday for the 2m4f Betfred Supports the BTRC Hurdle.

Trainer David Pipe has identified the race as preparation for a return over fences for his seven-year-old but is hoping conditions will be ideal.

Pipe said: "We'll see what the ground is like but we're looking to run because we'd like him to have a race before the Hennessy. He'll also have a Betfair Chase entry, but the Hennessy is more likely. He's in good order and just wants safe ground. He doesn't need it bottomless."

Aintree card and runners

Un Temps Pour Tout could meet 2011 Triumph Hurdle winner Zarkandar, who he had well behind him when he beat Thousand Stars by ten lengths in the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies at Auteuil in June 2015 in his last appearance over hurdles.

This would be Zarkandar's first appearance since, but trainer Paul Nicholls has warned that while he has made plenty of entries over the weekend he is likely to have few runners unless there is rain.

The Aintree card could also feature the possible seasonal reappearance of smart staying chaser Holywell, who chased home Un Temps Pour Tout at Cheltenham in March but fell at the second in the Grand National on his only appearance since.

Holywell is also entered over hurdles, in a Pertemps qualifier. The nine-year-old last raced over hurdles in a Grade 1 at Punchestown in April 2013, but he had won the Petemps Final at Cheltenham the previous month.