PERE READY TO TACKLE KAUTO

NOTRE Pere is bang on target to take on the might of Kauto Star in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on Saturday.

Last season’s Welsh National and Punchestown Gold Cup winner is in good shape after an uncharacteristic fall in the JNwine.com Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier this month.

And Coral has trimmed Notre Pere to 5-2, from 3-1 following support for Jim Dreaper’s charge yesterday.

Kauto Star remains the evens favourite.

“We saw one of Paul Nicholls’ superstars get beaten last weekend, and punters clearly believe Master Minded’s stablemate Kauto Star could be vulnerable when he makes his seasonal comeback,” said Coral’s David Stevens.

After a positive schooling session yesterday, the trainer said: “The ground looks as though it is going to be in his favour.”

“What happened at Down Royal was one of those things. Unfortunately it does happen, but thankfully everyone walked away in one piece, so all being well we’ll be there on Saturday.” 

Another Nicholls horse Iroquois Warrior was well beaten at Folkestone yesterday where the main race of the day went to Alan King’s Nixos Extra.

It was not a good day for favourites at Fakenham where Pearly Star, Prophete De Guye and Great Tsar all came a cropper at the first obstacle in their respective races.

Denis O’Regan returns to action at Hexham today (track has to pass early morning inspection) after being sidelined for over three weeks with a broken collarbone.

The Irish-born jockey has three rides at the Northumbrian track for his boss Howard Johnson.

Connections of Glenfinn Captain are optimistic of a good run from last year’s winner in the rescheduled Clonmel Oil Chase today.

Testing conditions at the County Tipperary track are unlikely to faze the Tom Taaffe’s charge.

The going was heavy when the gelding took the two-and-a-half-mile Grade Two feature 12 months ago and heavy rain put paid to its original date last Thursday.

“He won’t mind the ground and we’d be hopeful of a good run,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner J P McManus.

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