'We'll keep an eye on the Coral Gold Cup - but Plan A is the Many Clouds Chase'

Charlie Hall Chase third Sam Brown sits second in the Coral Gold Cup weights but trainer Anthony Honeyball is likely to stick to Plan A and target the BoyleSports Many Clouds Chase at Aintree on Saturday week.

The Tim Frost-owned homebred matched his best Racing Post Rating of 163 – recorded following a 15-length winner over Shan Blue in a Grade 3 handicap chase at the Grand National meeting in April – when beaten just four lengths by Bravemansgame on his return at Wetherby last month.

That spring course form is among the reasons why Sam Brown will likely be heading to Aintree rather than Newbury, where he is a 25-1 chance to win Saturday’s feature £250,000 handicap chase.

Honeyball said: “If the Coral Gold Cup was to cut up it could be an option and we’re definitely keeping an eye on it, but Plan A is still the Many Clouds Chase.

“I was very pleased with him at Wetherby and Eldorado Allen, who was second there, ran a decent race in the Betfair Chase. Sam Brown has come on for that run, and although he goes on good to soft, he would be suited better by softer ground.

“He’s a genuine Grade 2 horse, who may have a pop at a Grade 1 in the future, but it’s a tough task to win a handicap off a mark of 159 and that’s half my reason for preferring Aintree, where there will be fewer runners and he has course form. It might be an easier opportunity to win a big race.”

Firestream impressed on his hurdling debut for Honeyball when scoring by 21 lengths at Chepstow last week and the Dorset trainer is eyeing a potential midwinter crack at top-level company.

Honeyball said: “It was a very exciting start with Firestream over hurdles and we’ve always thought a lot of him. We may try to get another run into him before having a go at the Challow or Tolworth.”

Regal Encore (right): popular chaser will head back to AscotCredit: Mark Cranham

Stable stalwart Regal Encore turns 15 in January and was pulled up at Ascot on Friday but Honeyball and jockey Richie McLernon feel the veteran could bounce back to form on softer ground. A crack at winning a third Silver Cup at the Berkshire track on December 17 is next.

Honeyball said: “His rating is coming down, which shows he’s not as good as ever, but he seems as good as ever at home and he was bouncing after the race and squealing in his stable on Friday night.

“Richie knows him really well and feels there’s plenty of life in him and he may just slip into the Silver Cup at Ascot in December off a light weight. It might be one last hurrah there maybe but he loves his training and is very sound.

"If he was to miss a beat or something wasn’t quite right, we wouldn’t be persevering but he just seems to enjoy it and running him on softer ground will be the best time to judge him.”

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