Joint-trainer Johnson White is happy with the preparations of Lowry’s Bar heading into Saturday’s Coral Gold Cup at Newbury.
White, who trains with Philip Hobbs in Somerset, was watching Lowry’s Bar being put through his final preparations as he spoke on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Thursday.
Asked if the horse is over being pulled-up at Kempton when last seen in February, where he bled, White said: “He appears to be, of course you don’t know until you put them under racecourse pressure. He’s done plenty of work back at home and all has been well.
“He’s always looked like he’ll get and possibly even need further, although he has shown plenty of gears to win over two-and-a-half.
“He’s a horse that bounces out of his stable and just wants to please. He’s got a great attitude, a great work ethic and he’s a joy to train.”
The White and Hobbs team also run French Ship in the "Join Coral Bet £10 Get £50" Handicap Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday (1.40) and the five-year-old will be well-fancied after winning at Cheltenham last time.
The hurdle course at Newbury is softer than the chase course (Soft, Good to Soft in places at the time of writing) and French Ship is expected to handle conditions well.
White said: “I think he will. He certainly showed at Cheltenham that he stayed very well and I think the cut in the ground will just help bring out that stamina.
“It’s a flatter track at Newbury, but any cut in the ground won’t be any problem to him at all.”
Jockey Tom Bellamy also spoke to Luck ahead of The Doyen Chief’s run in the Coral Gold Cup for Alan King, who won the race with Smad Place 10 years ago.
He said: “He’s done nothing but improve all of last year, his jumping is getting better, he’s not ground dependent and so he’s pretty versatile.
“He’s a bit of a lunatic to be honest, as well, so the hustle and bustle of a big field could suit, he could be ignorant and bullish enough to hold his own.
“He’s going the right way and it might be a blessing that he didn’t win at Bangor, he has no penalty and he’s actually 3lb well-in.
“He’s ticking a lot of boxes and I’m looking forward to riding him.”
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