Alan King believes the experience gained by Baron Noir at the Cheltenham Festival can stand him in good stead in his bid for Grade One glory in the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The progressive son of Vadamos is set to spearhead King’s team that will head to the three-day meeting at the Merseyside venue in the extended two mile test on April 10th.
After registering wins at Uttoxeter, and then under a penalty at Kempton Park, the six-year-old ran a mighty race in defeat to finish fourth in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival.
And having enjoyed many magical moments at Aintree throughout his career, King hopes that the Noel Fehily Racing Syndicate-owned gelding, who tasted bumper glory at last year’s Punchestown Festival, can supply him with another result to savour.
He said: “Baron Noir will run, I imagine, in the Top Novices’ Hurdle and I’m very happy with him. He is due to work on Wednesday but he did his first bit back at the weekend after Cheltenham and he seems in grand form. It was a good performance from him in the Supreme as he was not really battle hardened enough for that. Hopefully that will have brought him on again.”
An outing at Grade One level could also be on the cards for Charisma Cat with King considering giving her an entry in the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle, which features on the undercard of the Randox Grand National.
The Listed bumper winner took her form to new heights last time out when shouldering top weight to glory in her first try over an extended two-and-a-half miles in the Grade Two BetVictor British EBF “National Hunt” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury.
He added: “She was going to go to Cheltenham, but we have now lost the meeting there in April. She will have an entry against the boys in the Mersey up at Aintree over two-and-a-half miles. She won’t be coming back in distance now as the step up in trip was always going to help her. The gap between Newbury and Aintree is fine, and that won’t be an issue. We have just got to look at the entries, and it is not set in stone, but we are going to give ourselves the option. She is up to 132 now so she is going the right way.”
One race that King has prospered in at the Merseyside venue is the Goffs Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race, which the Barbury Castle Stables handler has won a record three-times.
And King could be double handed in this year’s renewal of the Grade Two contest, which concludes the action on day one of the meeting on April 9th, with both Ascot winner Martini Majesty, and last time out Hereford scorer Seven Stars on course for the race.
He added: “Martini Majesty won well at Ascot. The form hasn’t worked out, which is a little bit of a worry, but we have always liked her. It will be difficult for a four-year-old, but we are going to give it a go. Seven Stars won well at Hereford. She has had three runs so she is a bit more battle hardened than the other filly so we will try and run the pair.”
The late Trevor Hemmings was always a firm fixture at the meeting and his silks look set to be given an outing at the meeting through Favour and Fortune, who was third at the meeting 12 months ago, and Harbour Lake.
King said: “The plan is to go back to Aintree with Favour and Fortune for the two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle he finished third in last year. He was supposed to go novice chasing in the autumn, but he had a setback so it was too late to go over fences with him this season. I was happy enough with his run at Kempton Park and he has been in good form since. He was only just ready to run at Kempton Park, but we needed to get him out.
"Harbour Lake will run in the extended three mile handicap hurdle. He is probably high enough in the weights, but he is a grand horse that loves spring ground. He did have a wind operation before his last run when he finished fourth behind Ma Shantou at Cheltenham and that was a good run. He is not the easiest to train as we have a lot of trouble with his feet, but at the moment he is okay and he is in good form.”
However one horse whose participation at the meeting remains up in the air is stable stalwart Edwardstone with King contemplating giving the admirable 12-year-old a spin in the BetGoodwin Sussex Champion Handicap Chase at Plumpton on Easter Monday.
He said: “He is entered in the Sussex Champion Chase at Plumpton and he will probably have an entry in the Red Rum at Aintree or we will wait for the Celebration Chase at Sandown Park. Although he has won over two-and-a-half miles Tom (Cannon) is convinced he is better over shorter. I would have thought he has the class to carry a big weight in a handicap. We have got to see how he works this week and go from there.”
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