Course specialist Lord Du Mesnil targeting unique Haydock Park feat

TRAINER Richard Hobson believes Haydock Park “brings the best out” of Lord Du Mesnil, who is bidding to complete a unique four-timer of staying chase victories at the track in the Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase.

The extended three-mile contest has attracted an excellent 17 entries on a card which also features the Grade Two Unibet New One Hurdle and Grade Two Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle.

Nine year old Lord Du Mesnil – runner up in Wetherby’s Rowland Meyrick Chase on Boxing Day – boasts an impressive record at Haydock Park, with three wins from four starts at the Merseyside course to date.

And victory on Saturday would seal the unique feat of winning each of Haydock Park’s four valuable staying handicap chases – having already won each of the Tommy Whittle Handicap Chase (2019), The Last Fling Handicap Chase (2019) and the William Hill Grand National Trial (2021).

He was runner-up in the 2020 Grand National Trial on his only other start at Haydock Park.

“He’s likely to go to Haydock. He’s come out of his Wetherby run really well and has been given plenty of time to recover from that.

“His fitness has peaked, so we’re just hoping it doesn’t dry out too much really,” said Hobson.

“It was a fantastic run there off top weight. It was a real gruelling display from him with such a big weight on his back and he was coming back again at the end.

“We’re looking forward to the weekend and if we do go to Haydock the 163-rated Royal Pagaille would keep the weight down for us with a rating of 152.

“It would be nice to do the four-timer, I don’t think anybody has done it in its current guise! He just loves Haydock, he’s really at ease with his action there and it’s all about having one speed where he can go in his conditions and keep it up – so the track brings the best out of him.”

Hobson revealed that Lord Du Mesnil also has next month’s William Hill Grand National Trial on his radar.

However, he suggested that the son of Saint Des Saints would be unlikely to head to the big race in Aintree, sponsored by Randox, unless the ground was particularly testing – having been pulled-up in the race last April.

“I wouldn’t think the Grand National would be on his radar this year. We’re looking at the Trial at Haydock and he just needs his conditions,” he added.

“He’ll probably get an entry in-case there’s a monsoon but once you’re committed it’s hard to pull them out as you’ve got people betting on them ante-post and things.

“The race has been soft once in around 10 years or so and he wants Red Marauder conditions – the drainage is too good for that now.”

Possible rivals to Lord Du Mesnil include Sandy Thomson’s Empire Steel who was still travelling well in the Rowland Meyrick before crashing out at the fourth last fence under former Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania.

Phil Kirby’s highly promising Bushypark and Ruth Jefferson’s Sounds Russian feature amongst 47 entries for the three-mile Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The two Yorkshire horses feature in a Grade One race which features the Paul Nicholls-trained Bravesmangame, Lucinda Russell’s Ahoy Senor and a host of top prospects from Ireland headed by Bob Olinger for the all-conquering Henry de Bromhead and Rachael Blackmore.

Alenquer will bid to provide William Haggas with a first victory in the Betway Winter Derby at Lingfield next month.

Winner of King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot last season, the colt went on to finish third in the Grand Prix de Paris and runner-up in the Juddmonte International at York under Tom Marquand.

Ninth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Haggas is planning to give Alenquer his all-weather debut at Lingfield on February 26.