Young Lieutenant leads the charge for Warren Greatrex this weekend and we get the latest from the Lambourn trainer.
Daryl Jacob rode Young Lieutenant the first time over hurdles and liked him a lot, he probably just needed the run a little bit at Newbury.
He was beaten by a nice horse in Sir Valentine and our horse has come on a lot. The more rain the better better for him at Haydock and while it looks a competitive race, I'd say he's fairly smart and quite promising.
No doubt he'll get a little bit further in the future but he races in a nice, relaxed way and his big asset is his jumping. The only potential negative would that it's just 16 days since his last run but he's in great form at home.
Bob Mahler runs over the extended three miles, one furlong in a handicap chase on the same card and there's a good chance this trip at Haydock has been just what he's wanted all along.
Forget his first run, the ground was atrocious. He’s in seriously good nick and I'm hoping this will be his breakthrough season. He did well last year and we've always had faith in him but I think there's more to come and Daryl was in to school him on Friday morning. It's all systems go as far as I'm concerned.
I'm very happy with Keeper Hill, who also heads up to Haydock. He had the wind op over the summer and has been schooling great. I was keen to try and find a small field for him and just felt that this race would be fractionally easier than taking on Altior and Cyrname at Ascot! It'll be good to get our lad back over fences and he's in top order.
For what it's worth, I'd be with Altior all day long in the Christy 1965 Chase.
North Star Oscar completes the Saturday team and he heads for the three mile, one furlong conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle at Huntingdon.
He was a bit unlucky last time as he was going well before he blundered the second-last at Wetherby. In fact, Harry Teal was adamant he would have won.
He's been on the go but running consistently so we'll try and kick on with him while he's in such good form. He’ll get the trip no problem and hopefully the penny just seems to be dropping with him as we always liked him in his bumper campaign.
Don’t Ask runs at Exeter on Sunday in a two-mile handicap chase – we ran him first time out for the year at Chepstow and he was too gassy, ballooned the first and was a bit careful after that. Sam Twiston-Davies rides him here and that should suit as he'll be positive on him. The horse has plenty of talent, he's actually a half-brother to Glen Forsa who did well for Mick Channon last season, and can climb the ladder - hopefully starting this weekend.
Looking further ahead, Printing Dollars will most likely run in the Listed race at Kempton early next week. She has had the pipe opener this year and it should be more to her liking back against the girls. I'd be surprised if she's not Listed class by the end of the season.
Western Ryder will go to Kempton or Ludlow, we're just favouring the latter at the moment. He was ponderous at Sedgefield but ran much better at Uttoxeter in another good race.
He needs the practice but it learning nicely as he goes and I hope his jumping just picks up again now
As for the big guns, Emitom has been back cantering and we still plan to run on January 1, while La Bague Au Roi remains on course for the King George on Boxing Day.
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