Jefferson hopes Patient's plans pay dividends

Malcolm Jefferson’s classy seven-year-old was last seen winning the Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle in November, having previously defeated subsequent Tingle Creek hero Politologue at Haydock.

Waiting Patiently has since missed several engagements, but he is ready to run again and could line up in the 32Red Casino Chase at Kempton.

Plans remain fluid, though, and Waiting Patiently could yet go for gold in the Grade One Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday week.

Ruth Jefferson, assistant to her father, said: “He’s in at Kempton this weekend but we haven’t decided if that is where he’ll go. If for some reason he doesn’t go there, he will run in the Clarence House.

“He’s back bouncing again and ready to run.”

Norton handler Jefferson was on the scoresheet at Doncaster yesterday as Mount Mews made a most impressive debut over fences in the Sky Bet Racing Cash Out Novices’ Chase.

Sent off the 30-100 favourite, Jefferson’s inmate, who was second in the Grade One novices’ hurdle won by Pingshou at Aintree last year, never put a foot wrong under Brian Hughes on his way to disposing of Sam Red by seven lengths.

Mick Meagher, racing manager for owner Trevor Hemmings, said: “That was perfect, but he did what he was entitled to do on the figures. He needs another race before we start thinking of anything fancy – he’s just had a hack around there.

“Aintree might be more his thing. He ran well there last season. I’m sure he’ll get three miles in time.”

Rene’s Girl set herself up for a crack at the highest level with an all-the-way win in the rearranged Sky Bet Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase.

One of her trainer Dan Skelton’s biggest attributes is that he always has a plan and is never afraid of aiming high, as is now the case with Rene’s Girl.

Never troubled on her way to an eased-down 10-length success, the 2-1 favourite now has the Grade One Manifesto Novices’ Chase at the Grand National meeting as her goal.

“We’ll go for the Grade One over two and a half miles at Aintree and take on the boys,” said Skelton.

“She’s good and she loves to jump. Last time out at Bangor she just wasn’t at her best.

“She was only a middle-of-the-road hurdler but fences bring her to life.

“She’s given herself a bang on a take-off board but she’s not lame or anything.”

Skelton and his jockey-brother Harry had earlier won with Tommy Rapper (10-11 favourite) in the second division of the novices’ hurdle, having thrown away victory last time out.

The Warwickshire handler said: “Chasing might make a man of him but something like the final of the Challenger Series at Haydock might suit him.”

Tom George celebrated a Grade One win at the weekend with Summerville Boy in the Tolworth Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown, and Black Op scored for the same team in the first division of the two-mile-five novices’ hurdle.

Owned by Roger Brookhouse and ridden by Noel Fehily, whether the 1-3 favourite lines up at Cheltenham has still to be decided.

George said: “First time at Newbury he found two miles a little sharp and possibly needed the run more than I thought.

“Whether we go to the festivals, it’s too early to say.”

Johnny Farrelly’s And The New (14-1) caused an upset in the Sky Bet Fast Withdrawal Novices’ Hurdle, with the previously unbeaten Ravenhill Road only third for Brian Ellison.

The winner, who ran well in both the Cheltenham and Aintree bumpers last season, was turned over at odds-on on his hurdling debut.

“We’ve always thought he had an engine but he’d just been too free in his races,” said jockey Brendan Powell.

“He had a first-time hood and we changed tactics to let him roll, which seemed to work.”

Woolstone One (11-1) made it two out of three since joining Emma Lavelle with a cosy win in a qualifier for the Northern Lights Mares’ Series.