'He goes to Cheltenham with a live each-way chance - dry spring ground and an end-to-end gallop would be perfect'
Lewis Porteous gets the lowdown from top British trainers on their leading festival hopes
Kim Bailey, Alan King, Gary Moore, Harry Fry and Emma Lavelle are no strangers to success at the Cheltenham Festival and are back for more along with Jeremy Scott, whose stable stalwart Dashel Drasher was narrowly denied in last season's Stayers' Hurdle and will attempt to go one better next month. Joe Tizzard and Harry Derham enjoyed festival victories in the saddle and are bidding to train their first winners at jump racing's biggest four days. As is James Owen, and Lewis Porteous gets the lowdown from the British trainers on their leading festival hopes.
Kim Bailey
Chianti Classico
Ultima, 10-1
We've had the Ultima in our minds for a while now. He's got a good profile for the race and I think we've got a good chance. Ideally you'd want more experience than just three runs over fences but he's a winning point-to-pointer and jumped brilliantly at Kempton last time. He didn't like the quickish ground at Ascot on his second chase start and ideally he wants soft ground.
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Published on inStable Tours
Last updated
Copy- 'He's bigger, stronger, definitely getting better - and he'll be a classy horse going back into handicaps'
- 'Our novice chasers are as good as anyone's in Britain - and this one is a proper horse'
- 'Having a winner at the Cheltenham Festival last season made a big difference - and this might be one for the same race'
- 'We're working back from the Gold Cup - he's a massive horse and lightly raced, so we hope there's more improvement to come'
- 'We're excited about him - we hope he's a Graded horse and we're working back from the Cheltenham Festival'
- 'He's bigger, stronger, definitely getting better - and he'll be a classy horse going back into handicaps'
- 'Our novice chasers are as good as anyone's in Britain - and this one is a proper horse'
- 'Having a winner at the Cheltenham Festival last season made a big difference - and this might be one for the same race'
- 'We're working back from the Gold Cup - he's a massive horse and lightly raced, so we hope there's more improvement to come'
- 'We're excited about him - we hope he's a Graded horse and we're working back from the Cheltenham Festival'