Wet weather preferred by Ellison for Newbury

The five-year-old ran a tremendous race on his only start over timber this winter when second to Menorah in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November.

He did not fare too well in a spin on the all-weather at Southwell over Christmas, but Ellison has drawn a line through that effort.

“The more rain the better for him. He loves soft ground, he’s in great form and I’m very hopeful,” said the North Yorkshire trainer who also plans to saddle Palomar, third in the Lanzarote Hurdle, in the Newbury contest.

“His second to Menorah in the Greatwood must be the best handicap form around. Menorah’s a very good horse and we’re looking forward to Saturday if we get the rain. We ran him in a bumper race at Southwell but he didn’t like the sand in his face.”

Ironically, Ellison’s upbeat bulletin came on the day Philip Hobbs reported Menorah to be in flying form following a workout ahead of next month’s Champion Hurdle.

The six-year-old has been off the track since December when he added the International Hurdle to the Greatwood. If Bothy prevails at the weekend, the battling Menorah’s Cheltenham odds will shorten even further.

Hobbs, based in Somerset, believes his charge can compete with the best and believes that Donald McCain’s Peddlers Cross, rather than reigning champion Binocular, could be the biggest danger.

“I couldn’t be more happy with him and I think there’s still room for improvement, but this is surely one of the best Champion Hurdles we’ve had for some time,” said Hobbs.

“Menorah is one of those few horses where there’s no faults. He’s got the most fantastic temperament, he works well and enjoys his work on a daily basis.

Hobbs also revealed that Fair Along, the two-time John Smith’s Hurdle winner at Wetherby and the horse that has helped to kickstart the career of Northern Racing College graduate Rhys Flint, will revert to fences at Newbury on Saturday for the Aon Chaase.

A high-class field includes the Sir Alex Ferguson part-owned What A Friend and also Noland, both from the stable of champion trainer Paul Nicholls, while Riverside Theatre represents Nicky Henderson and actor James Nesbitt.

Hobbs, however, is not deterred, even though Fair Along has not run over fences since April 2008.

“He’s run in plenty of chases, won chases and finished second in an Arkle and third in a Champion Chase,” he said. “He had that good form over fences but we went back to the hurdle route because he was more confident jumping hurdles.

“I think we’re at the stage now where he’s not going to be competitive with the best at level weights in three-mile hurdle races, so lets try a three-mile chase and see how we get on. Rhys will ride him.”

Hobbs also hopes that a wind operation will revitalise Planet of Sound ahead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, though good ground is a pre-requisite.

n THE best of today’s action sees Ruthenoise reappear at Ludlow five days after the mare – and Malton-born jockey Andrew Tinkler – so nearly beat the mighty Binocular, and AP McCoy, at Sandown. A bold show is expected before the six-year-old goes up in the weights.

Meanwhile the form of Grands Crus will be given a test at Carlisle as Knockara Beau lines up in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.

Grands Crus shot towards the head of the betting for the World Hurdle with an imperious display in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, with Knockara Beau the best of the rest.

Victory for George Charlton’s stable star will re-enforce the optimism of the David Pipe stable.