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Liverpool Echo

Sport

Chris Wright

Horse Power: Chantry House can win the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham

Cheltenham Prestbury Park Festival Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Festival

CHANTRY HOUSE can bounce back to win the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase Chase (GBB Race) (2.30pm) at Cheltenham on Saturday afternoon.

Nicky Henderson's eight-year-old was disappointingly pulled up in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. But he can resume winning ways in the Grade Two feature on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day at Prestbury Park.

He was sent off favourite for the Grade One Christmas feature last time based on his fine novice campaign when he won four of his five starts including in the Grade One Marsh Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival and the Grade One Betway Mildmay Novices’ Chase at the Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse back in March and April.

He returned to action to comfortably land a two-runner Listed Intermediate Chase at Sandown before it all went wrong at Kempton.

He never got going that day and was pulled up. But the return to Prestbury Park – where he also won over hurdles and was third in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Chase – and also dropping to Grade Two company, can see the JP McManus-owned gelding in a better light.

He needs to win for a potential crack at the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in March – and although that will be a much tougher proposition – he can at least book his ticket with victory.

Another McManus-owned and Henderson-trained candidate, CHAMP, can also put himself in line for another trip to the Festival with victory in the Grade Two Welsh Marches Stallions At Chapel Stud Cleeve Hurdle (GBB Race) (3.05pm).

The 10-year-old is back over hurdles following an, at times, successful chasing career.

The highlight was his victory in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at the 2020 Festival. But like racing, which was halted after that meeting due to the coronavirus pandemic, his chasing career stalled. He was pulled up in the Gold Cup last March before the seventh fence.

But he returned to action over the smaller obstacles in fine style when beating staying hurdle stars Thyme Hill and Paisley Park in the Grade One Howden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot before Christmas.

Connections have rightly stayed over hurdles and he can land the Cleeve before a crack at the Stayers’ Hurdle.

The Grade Two Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (Registered As The Classic Novices’ Hurdle) (GBB Race) (3.40pm) looks a fascinating contest with four novices putting their unbeaten record on the line.

It may pay to side with Henry Daly’s HILLCREST – in the colours of the late Trevor Hemmings – to make it four wins in a row ahead of the Donald McCain-trained A Different King.

Hillcrest has won at Aintree, Wetherby and impressively over course and distance in a Listed event on New Year’s Day.

He looks a hugely-promising prospect and can prove it with another win en route to the Festival.

Merseyside-born trainer McCain may land the opener at Cheltenham, in the SSS Super Alloys Handicap Hurdle (GBB Race) (12.15pm) with GEROMINO, who has had wind surgery following a below-par effort at Musselburgh at the start of the month that checked his progress.

Paul Nicholls’ ICEO can build on his victory on his British debut at Kempton over Christmas with another victory in the Grade Two JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle (Registered As The Finesse) (GBB Race) (12.45pm).

Fergal O’Brien’s IMPERIAL ALCAZAR can make it third time lucky after two runners-up finishes in his two starts this season in the Timeform Novices’ Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (1.20pm).

The Venetia Williams’ stable is in fine form at present, including Royalle Pagaille's second successive victory in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock Park last weekend. And FARINET may keep that going in the Grade Three Paddy Power Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (1.55pm).

He was pulled up in the Racing Post Gold Cup at Cheltenham before Christmas but he lost a shoe in that contest. The seven-year-old showed that effort was not a true reflection of his ability when scoring at Sandown at the start of the month. And he can follow-up with another victory back at Prestbury Park.

At Doncaster Nicholls’ KAPCOURSE can win an ultra-competitive Listed Sky Bet Handicap Chase (GBB Race) (3.20pm).

He may be a nine-year-old but Kapcourse is still open to plenty more improvement over fences having won three times over the big obstacles in just five starts.

He came back from 12 months of the track with a fine victory over 2m6f at Newbury at the end of November. He has gone up 8lbs for that but he looks as if he has been aimed at this race.

Kapcourse looks to have a decent weight of 10st10lb and ticks lots of boxes for this type of race.

He may be able to come out on top ahead of a long list of candidates including Christian Williams’ Cap Du Nord, the Alan King-trained Canelo, Cloudy Glen – from the Venetia Williams’ stable and Dan Skelton newcomer Debece.

Skelton is likely to have a winner with THIRD TIME LUCKI continuing his progress over fences with another victory in the Grade Two Watch Off The Fence On attheraces.com Lightning Novices’ Chase (GBB Race) (1.35pm).

Nicholls’ course and distance winner, MIRANDA, can also go in again in the Grade Two Sky Bet Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (2.10pm).

While Mel Rowley’s MY BOBBY DAZZLER can take the Grade Two Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle (GBB Race) (2.45pm) and the McCain-trained CREATIVE CONTROL may land the opener on Town Moor, the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap Hurdle (12.25pm).