L’Homme Presse is firmly on track for tomorrow’s Betfair Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.
Venetia Williams’ charge delighted connections when finishing third on his reappearance in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day and is currently the sponsors’ 5/4 favourite for Saturday’s showpiece.
Owner Andy Edwards told Tuesday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “It’s all systems go, I’m looking forward to it and it’s been the plan since the King George and everything looks to be our favour.
“Kempton was fantastic, absolutely fantastic on our first run of the season, to do that in the King George. He outstayed the rest of them behind him, the Irish horses, the British horses. Obviously the two main horses got away from him but I was absolutely thrilled.”Main market rival is Gentlemansgame who also emerged from the festive period with plenty of credit having finished third behind Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File in the Savills Chase.
His trainer Mouse Morris told the NLD: “He’s in great form. We’ve had no hiccups since, that doesn’t mean we won’t have them tomorrow but after Leopardstown it’s been a clear run so far and you take every day as a winning day. I was hoping for a big run. I thought he’d take the run and would probably want the ground a bit softer around a flat track like Leopardstown.”
Morris is quick to play down suggestions his charge doesn’t handle Cheltenham after he pulled up in last year’s Boodles-sponsored Gold Cup.
“Draw a line through that. It was too quick and I’d say with all the stop-start he wasn’t 100% ft and you can’t have any hic-cups going to Cheltenham,” he added.
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