Festival win tops Ellison’s wish-list

Yet, in many respects, the Malton handler’s biggest handicap is actually getting his horses in the Festival’s handicaps – there are strict limits on runners for safety reasons – and then hoping luck is on his side.

However Ellison is particularly keen on the chance of Bocciani, who is being targeted at the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle on Gold Cup day.

“His form has been brilliant. He was second at Doncaster last time and the winner, Big Easy, has won again and the third horse Corkage won again at Doncaster on Saturday,” said the trainer, who ended Yorkshire’s 14-year Ebor drought when Moyenne Corniche prevailed last August at York.

Ultimate staked his claim for the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Chase when winning at Doncaster on Saturday while Ellison is hoping Stormy Weather will get in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle.

“Stormy Weather has been put up 4lb. He’s now on 130 so hopefully he might get in the County Hurdle,” he added.

Ellison is keeping his options open on other members of his provisional Festival team; ground conditions and the likelihood of a place in the race will be determining factors with Felix de Giles likely to replace the sidelined Danny Cook in the saddle.

“I could have three in the Fred Winter (Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) – Royal Opera, Red Inca and Artisan – while Abergavenny and Marsh Warbler have a choice of races,” he added.

“I’d like to think I’d have seven or eight runners at Cheltenham, if they get in.”

n Ruby Walsh expects reigning champion Long Run to be very difficult to beat in the Gold Cup, Cheltenham’s blue riband race, even if the veteran Kauto Star is passed fit at the weekend.

The two-time champion’s prospects hang in the balance after a heavy fall during a schooling session, with no decision expected until Saturday at the earliest.

Yet Walsh is realistic about Kauto Star’s chances, even though this iconic horse rolled back the years to beat Long Run in both the Betfair Chase and King George Chase this season.

“I hope Kauto Star gets there 100 per cent, but whether he’ll win or not he’ll be a great ride,” said Walsh.

“Realistically, I think over that trip Long Run will be very hard to beat. It’s not Cheltenham that suits Long Run, it’s the trip.”

Diplomatically, Walsh did not comment on whether Kauto Star will be fit and while trainer Paul Nicholls remains upbeat, owner Clive Smith is more cautious.

“Saturday is going to be D-Day,” said Smith yesterday.

“But I’m quite hopeful, having talked to various people about it, that he’ll make it to Cheltenham.”

“He’s sore around his neck and along his right flank, but he’s responding well to treatment. It’s whether he can improve sufficiently before the race.”

Meanwhile Walsh was particularly bullish about the prospects of Kauto Star’s half-brother Kauto Stone in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

“I’ll probably ride Kauto Stone in the Champion Chase and I think he’ll finish second,” he said.

Walsh, who has the pick of rides from the Paul Nicholls team and Irish trainer Willie Mullins, took the Stan James Champion Hurdle on Hurricane Fly for the latter last year.

And the Mullins stable star is a hot favourite to repeat the trick a week today.

“He was a really good winner last year, but probably travelled a bit too keen for me on the day,” added Walsh.

“Luckily enough, he was good enough to get away with it.

“He’s been good ever since and – fingers crossed – he’ll get there in the same sort of form.”

Andrew Lynch expects to be fit for Sizing Europe’s Queen Mother Champion Chase defence – despite being stood down by medics.

Lynch sustained an arm injury at Navan on Saturday and was still in some pain 24 hours later when signing off after just one ride at the Dublin circuit.

Meanwhile trainer Henry de Bromhead reported that the horse came through his last major piece of work unscathed before his Cheltenham defence; the 10-year-old is a red-hot favourite.

“We’ll just tip away quietly with him between now and then,” he said.

New rules governing the use of the whip come into effect today, placing a greater onus on stewards to use their discretion.

The move follows weeks of dialogue between the British Horseracing Authority and the Professional Jockeys Association.

When deciding whether to hold an inquiry, stewards must consider the rider’s use of the whip during the course of an entire race.

Particular attention will be given to its use in the closing stages and relevant factors such as the degree of force, and the purpose for which the whip was used.

Haynes remains in National seat

YOUNG conditional Harry Haynes will keep the ride on Yorkshire’s Grand National hope According To Pete in the Aintree spectacular.

Malton trainer Malcolm Jefferson confirmed the arrangement after Haynes partnered the 11-year-old to a second-place finish in Kelso’s totepool.com Premier Chase on Saturday, with last year’s Aintree hero Ballabriggs back in fourth.

Haynes rode the horse to victory in both Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day and Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase.

“He ran well and I’m very happy with him,” said Jefferson. “We’ll just keep him ticking over now and we’ll step his work up nearer the time. He’ll have a quiet week or two now.

“We won’t give him a racecourse gallop. He’ll do all his work at home. He’s not a hard horse to put right. Harry will ride him at Aintree. The two have got on really well together.”