Joe Tizzard is confident Alexei is in the right shape to run well on his reappearance in Saturday’s William Hill Molyneux Hurdle at Aintree.
The six-year-old finished fourth in last season’s Unibet Champion Hurdle and established himself as one of the top two-mile hurdlers in Britain. However, he faces a stern examination on his return in against Sky Bet Supreme third Mydaddypaddy (a pound higher on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings) and Gordon Elliott's Grade One juvenile winner Mange Tout.
“He’s in good nick,” the trainer told Friday’s Nick Luck Daily Podcast. “Originally, I was going to go straight for the Fighting Fifth. It’s not a last-minute decision but he was flying in his work three weeks ago, I thought he’s in good form so I’m going to crack on with him and take him to Aintree.
“I couldn’t be happier with him for his first run. It’s not a straightforward race but at the end of the day these are the sort of races we’re going to be in this year. At home he looks really well and I think there’s some natural improvement still to come from him and he doesn’t need to find a great deal.
“He’s not the type of horse we’ve generally bought over the years, coming from the Flat, but he’s a fun horse to have and he’s very straightforward to train at home because he’s a horse who wants to do it and his work is good. He’s naturally a fit horse. “
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