Improving Yorkshire horse Malystic ready to take on Grade One star Greaneteen at Newbury

The in-form chaser, trained by former jockey Peter Niven at Barton-Le-Street near Malton, takes on Paul Nicholls’ mighty Grade One-winning Greaneteen in the two-mile Grade Two Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase (3.00).

Nicholls’ charge – who has won the last two renewals of the Grade One bet 365 Celebration Chase, as well as a Tingle Creek and Exeter’s Grade Two Haldon Gold Cup – has amassed nearly £500,000 in prize money in a successful career.

But Niven’s nine-year-old steps up into graded company and heads south seeking a hat-trick of wins – and a first prize of £40,000 – having won the William Hill Castleford Handicap Chase at Wetherby on December 27 and following it up with success in the Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day Handicap Chase at Doncaster a month later.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, Niven said: “It’s good for the stable and we are looking forward to it. Obviously, we are reaching for the stars, but fingers crossed he won’t disgrace himself.

“Greaneteen is a very good horse and has shown it time and time again. He’s good fresh and he is good on better ground – so he will be a hard horse to keep tabs with.”

But Niven’s inmate is a very consistent animal, having won seven times and finished second on the same number of occasions during a 20-race career under Rules which has yielded over £90,000 in prize money.

“Malystic is a grand horse,” said Niven. “Last year he wasn’t healthy and it looks like he had a bad year – which he would in the circumstances – but he seems to have bounced back this year.

“Everything is good with him, he seems in great nick and we will go and take our chance. It is soon enough after Doncaster, but he came out of that very well so we will see.”

The horse was bred by Niven’s mother and sister and comes out of the Clever Cookie family – a horse which gave the dual purpose handler eight victories in the National Hunt code including the Grade 2 Premier Kelso Hurdle in 2014 and a further six on the Flat, the most notable being the Group 2 Yorkshire Cup at York in 2016.

“I have sold bits of Malystic but it is all Yorkshire people who own him, all near to Malton, some live in the same village and others from around.”

Former jump jockey Niven, 58, had a successful career in the saddle and became the first Scotsman and only the sixth jockey ever to ride over 1,000 career winners back in May 2001.

He was up early today, ready to drive his charge to Newbury at 6am this morning.

“He is not the best traveller and it is one thing that can be a bit of an issue but we will see how it goes tomorrow.

"It is always a toss up whether to go on the day or the night before, but as long as he travels well he should be grand,” he said.

“At home, Caitlin Stocks rides him out most days and looks after him.”

Jockey Danny McMenamin again takes the ride on Malystic, in the week that he rode his first winner for legendary Irish owner JP McManus – Dead Right – down at Taunton.

He partnered the horse to both its victories this season and Niven said: “He’s a grand little jockey. Brian [Hughes] has been riding him but Brian couldn’t ride him the last couple of times so Danny did and he’s been doing well, so I have stuck with him."

Greaneteen will tune up for the Queen Mother Champion Chase in today’s race with Nicholls deliberately leaving his horse “a bit short”.

He said: "We've left him a tiny little bit short on purpose, he goes well fresh and obviously we are hoping this will set him up for the Champion Chase and the Celebration."

Venetia Williams' Funambule Sivola, Joe Tizzard's Elixir De Nutz and Fergal O'Brien's consistent performer Mortlach complete the quintet heading to post.