DUSKY WARBLER ON COME-BACK TRAIL IN intercasino.co.uk HURDLE AT LINGFIELD - Paul Nicholls to be represented in intercasino.co.uk Novices' Chase
Lingfield Park is set for more high-class jumping action on Saturday, January 21, when the Surrey track stages another fixture transferred from Ascot.
Gary Moore is eager to let Dusky Warbler take his chance in a fantastic renewal of the £40,000 Grade Two intercasino.co.uk Hurdle, a limited handicap, which is race 28 in the prestigious BHB Order Of Merit.
The gelding ran below par on his sole outing this term when last of 10 behind Manorson in a Newbury limited handicap in November, and Moore is eager to get the classy seven-year-old back on track off 10st 10lb in the two mile, three and a half furlong contest, with a crack at the totesport Trophy on the agenda.
The East Sussex trainer revealed today: "He's been sick and so is not as good as he was. It was a very disappointing run at Newbury. Whether we rode him quite as we should have done, I'm not quite sure. He was meant to have run in the Ladbroke Hurdle but he went wrong on me.
"He scoped dirty a week before the race so he couldn't run in that, but he's been on medication and he actually scoped clean yesterday morning."
Dusky Warbler ended last season among the top echelon of novice hurdlers after running third to Arcalis in the Grade One Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham, and then following up with a fine second to the then unbeaten Mighty Man in a Grade Two contest at Aintree.
Moore commented: "His blood has gone off to the laboratory today. If that all comes back good then I would be hopeful of a good run, but I would say we're not quite seeing the horse we saw last year at the moment. I just hope it comes with racing and that's why I'm keen to run him because I want to aim him at the totesport Trophy. I want to see him run a bigger race on Saturday, otherwise it doesn't warrant him going to Newbury."
He continued: "I left the blood test as close to the race as possible. He looks good now but I won't get the results of his blood until later this afternoon or first thing tomorrow. As long as they're all good, he'll be a definite runner and I'd be quite hopeful.
"His form was solid last year. We're stepping up in trip but that shouldn't be a problem. The ground should be OK. It's going to be bottomless around there but it's the same for all of them really and he does go in it."
Royal Shakespeare is set to top the weights alongside 2003 Smurfit Champion Hurdle runner-up Westender, while Howard Johnson's 2005 Royal & SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle hero No Refuge could make the journey from County Durham.
The two-mile intercasino.co.uk Novices' Chase is worth £35,000 and Paul Nicholls is set to run one of either Le Volfoni or Turthen in the Grade Two heat. The five-year-old French imports are reported to be in good form ahead of Saturday.
The Ditcheat trainer said: "One will definitely run but I haven't decided which yet. They both have engagements at Lingfield and Haydock and both are in good order."
Le Volfoni has won his last three starts over fences and landed a soft ground two mile, one furlong novice event at Plumpton last time by five lengths from Sharp Rigging, having previously won at Haydock and Chepstow.
Turthen, a two mile, one and a half furlong chase winner at Auteuil in June, was not disgraced when fourth to The Listener at Windsor in December, nor when two and a quarter lengths third to the useful Bannow Strand over two and a half miles at Haydock earlier this month.
Nicholls continued: "Joe Tizzard will ride Le Volfoni wherever he goes. If Le Volfoni goes to Haydock, then Christian Williams will ride Turthen at Lingfield but we'll finalise that in the morning."
Among the possible contenders for the prestigious contest are Thierry Doumen's 2004 AIG Europe Champion Hurdle victor Foreman and Martin Pipe's Grade One winning hurdler Marcel and the smart Medison.
Intercasino has generously sponsored the entire day, which is normally staged at Ascot, with a total prize fund of just under £140,000 including the £25,000 intercasino.co.uk Handicap Chase. Three races are scheduled to be shown live on Channel 4.
GROUND
Neil Mackenzie Ross, Clerk of the Course at Lingfield Park, reported today: "The hurdles course is currently heavy while the chase course is soft, heavy in places. The outlook is more favourable with less rain forecast than previously expected."
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