Emma Lavelle is targeting the Centenary Novices' Handicap Chase at its new home of Sandown for Christmas winner Killer Clown.
The race was axed from the Cheltenham running order to make way for the new Grade 2 Paddy Power Mares' Chase on Gold Cup day and transferred to Sandown's Imperial Cup meeting a couple of days before the Festival.
Killer Clown won the Novices' Handicap Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day by seven-and-a-half lengths, prompting a 13lb rise from the handicapper to a mark of 136.
That was on good to soft ground and Lavelle is mindful that those sort of conditions are probably best for him.
“He’s in great order," she said on Tuesday. "I thought 13lb was a steep enough rise but saying that he did do it very well. I think he’s a nice horse.
“Subject to the ground being on the good side rather than really testing, I think that our long-term target would be the novices’ handicap chase at Sandown that got moved from Cheltenham.
“I think we got beaten at Sandown before because the ground was too soft, but that’s an option and he’d probably have a run before then where he has a few options including a nice 2m4f race at Newbury.
“With him what we have learnt is that a bit of nice ground is important. He’s a great jumper, so tracks where jumping is at a premium is where he should be going.”
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