Thomson targets Scottish National

Sandy Thomson’s stable star made a flying start to his season when beating his only rival Bristol De Mai in the Colin Parker Memorial Chase at Carlisle in October.

That impressive display prompted connections to bid for Grade One glory in the Betfair Chase at Haydock the following month, but he was pulled up by regular rider Brian Hughes in a race won by Cue Card and has not been seen since. Thomson said: “He has had a little bit of a setback, unfortunately, but we don’t think it’s anything too serious.

“He came back from Haydock with a bruised foot and whether this is connected, I’m not sure.

“As with all these things, you get one thing and then something else clouds the issue.

“Hopefully we’ll get a run into him somewhere before having another go at the Scottish National. That would be the plan at the moment.

“These things are always difficult to gauge and it could be that he comes right sooner and we could look at a handicap at the Cheltenham Festival, but we’ll see.

“We’ll be working away at it and see how we get on.”

After winning three of his first four starts over fences, including an eyecatching win at Cheltenham on January 1, 2016, Seeyouatmidnight disappointed in the RSA Chase at the Festival last season before bouncing back to finish third in the Scottish National at Ayr.

Paul Nicholls is considering stepping Dodging Bullets up to the top table for the first time this season in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on January 21.

He has given the former Queen Mother Champion Chase hero an entry in the Grade One prize, which he won in 2015, as the nine-year-old bids for a first victory of the campaign.

Dodging Bullets failed to build upon an encouraging return in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter when he was pulled up in a Grade Two at Ascot in November.

But he shaped with more promise on his most recent start, when fourth in last month’s Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

Nicholls said: “Dodging Bullets has been given an entry in the Clarence House where he might go, but it is not definite. He is one of those horses in no-man’s land at the moment.”

Nicky Henderson’s exciting notice Altior, unbeaten in three starts since hswitching to fences, is another intriguing entry.

Kim Bailey is in no rush to make plans for his smart novice chaser Charbel after he missed a few engagements over the Christmas period.

Bailey had mentioned the Dipper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day as a possible target.

Other possible engagements at Warwick last Saturday, and Hereford yesterday, were also bypassed.

Victorious in the Kalahari King Chase at Uttoxter under an inspired David Bass, Charbel was a more than creditable second to the aforementioned Altior in the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown a month ago.

“He’s just been a little bit quiet,” said Bailey. “Also, one or two of mine just aren’t running quite as well as I’d like at the moment, so I’m in no hurry to go anywhere with him just yet.”