Cheltenham Ahoy! Lucinda Russell looking to Brown Advisory with star novice

Saturday: Wetherby

Exciting prospect Ahoy Senor was slashed in price for Cheltenham after a decisive success in the Grade 2 William Hill Towton Novices' Chase.

The Grade 1-winning hurdler landed his second chase victory by five and a half lengths under Derek Fox and is a 9-2 chance (from 7-1) for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase with Paddy Power.

"I'm absolutely delighted with that," said trainer Lucinda Russell. "He took a few fences to warm up but this is a brilliant track to bring him to – it's a galloping track with big fences. He's a huge horse and he needs big fences to respect them."

Ahoy Senor: 'He's a huge horse and he needs big fences to respect them'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Ahoy Senor, who was beaten at Kempton in December, is also in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Russell said: "He'll probably go for the Brown Advisory. He's still a novice; he's got an immense talent but we're still crafting him.

"We didn't lose anything in defeat at Kempton and if we'd gone here straight from his win at Newbury we wouldn't have learned anything, but Kempton taught us something."

Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (2.10 Cheltenham, March 16)

Paddy Power: 2 Galopin Des Champs, 10-3 Bravemansgame, 9-2 Ahoy Senor, 6 Capodanno, 8 Fury Road, 10 Jungle Boogie, 12 bar.

Plate plan for Wetherby regular

Schiehallion Munro edged Micky Hammond closer to a century of winners at Wetherby and earned a potential trip to the Cheltenham Festival.

He defied a 4lb rise for his Boxing Day triumph at Wetherby to take the 2m3f chase under Conor O'Farrell and land a third course victory.

After welcoming back his 97th Wetherby winner, Hammond said: "There are thoughts of Cheltenham for him, in the Paddy Power Plate. We know it's tough down there but he's progressing.

"He's having a good season. The horse is a credit to the whole yard, he loves the game."

Schiehallion Munro: likely to bid for the Paddy Power Plate at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Dubai Quest is also set for at Cheltenham after making it two from two in hunter chases with a ready win under Gina Andrews.

The rider's father Simon said: "It will do him good to jump those bigger fences. We were a bit worried the ground wouldn't be soft enough for him."

Surprise touchdown

Racegoers got a shock during the novice hurdle won by Our Jet as a helicopter landed in the centre of the course while the runners were at the top of the home straight.

Clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson said: "It was Robert Waley-Cohen's and was due to land at 1.05pm but was around ten minutes early."

Sanderson and the executive were interviewed by the stewards, who asked them to remind parties arriving by aircraft to adhere to instructions and not land during a race.

Our Jet's rider Harry Skelton also won on No Risk Des Flos (2m3f hurdle) and completed his treble on Don Hollow (bumper).

He was banned for two days for his ride on No Risk Des Flos but allowed to keep the race as the bump he gave runner-up Thereisnodoubt was judged not to have improved his placing.

Replays, results and analysis

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