Edwardstone bids to get his season back on track in the Betfair Exchange Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.

Winner of the Arkle at Cheltenham and the Tingle Creek at Sandown two years ago, Alan King’s stable star kicked off this season by chasing home the Nicky Henderson-trained Jonbon in successive races.

As a result, Edwardstone was stepped up in trip for last month’s Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton, but faded tamely after racing keenly and came home a well beaten last of four finishers.

King believes the decision to hold up the 10-year-old in a bid to conserve his stamina may have backfired and he is looking forward to seeing him return to two miles on Saturday, albeit in testing conditions.

“All is well, he seemed to come out of that run (at Kempton) in good form and he’s done plenty of work since,” said the Barbury Castle handler.

“I need to get him out and the ground is the same for all of them. He’s got form on heavy ground, I’m not saying he’s at his best on it, but he has gone on it and I’m very keen to run him.

“Kempton was disappointing and we don’t really know why, whether we disappointed him by taking him back, I’m not sure, but I’m inclined to put a line through that and we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”

Edwardstone is entered in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival but King added: “I’m not even thinking about Cheltenham, I want to get Saturday out of the way and then we’ll see.”

His biggest threat this weekend appears to be Boothill, who won a couple of lucrative handicaps at Ascot in the autumn before falling as favourite for Kempton’s Desert Orchid Chase over the Christmas period.

Trainer Harry Fry has been pleased with his nine-year-old since, but will check on the ground before confirming his participation on Saturday.

He said: “He seems in good form with himself, he was thankfully none the worse for his fall and has schooled well since.

“It was obviously frustrating at Kempton, but we get to go again and this has always really been the plan. We are just mindful though that conditions could be testing enough, so we’ll just see when we get there how it’s riding and go from there.

“We took him out earlier in the season on heavy ground at Sandown in the Tingle Creek, so that’s the only slight reservation I have.

“He’s got form on soft, but heavy is a different ballgame.”

Editeur Du Gite won that Desert Orchid Chase in December, but subsequently finished last of five when defending his crown in the rescheduled Clarence House at Cheltenham, and Gary Moore has indicated he is likely to sidestep the race due to the ground.

The Venetia Williams-trained Funambule Sivola is out to secure a third successive victory in this Grade Two contest, but will need to bounce back from a disappointing run of form.

With Calico declared a non-runner, the field is completed by Joe Tizzard’s Amarillo Sky, who makes his first competitive appearance since finishing fourth in last year’s Clarence House.

Anthony Honeyball is eyeing up a big double at Ascot and Haydock a week on Saturday.

The Dorset trainer has set his sights on landing the Grade Two Sodexo Live! Novices’ Chase with Kilbeg King, who kept on gamely when third behind Il Est Francais at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Kilbeg King was a two-time winner over hurdles last term, including a notable success at the Punchestown Festival, and has been highly tried over fences.

The nine-year-old is ante-post favourite for the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase back at Kempton later this month but will instead stay in novice company for a race registered as the Reynoldstown.

“He was third in the Grade One Kauto Star last time out and has been shunted up the handicap, he went up 7lb for that,” said Honeyball.

“Therefore, he’s sort of worked his way into the better races, so he goes for the Reynoldstown Novices’ on the 17th.

“He actually moved into the race turning in at Kempton, having been out of the firing line – he actually moved into it quite nicely, but obviously couldn’t quite match the winner.

“He’s ante-post favourite for the Coral Trophy at Kempton as well, but we’ve got the second favourite for that in Forward Plan, and Kilbeg King will go to Ascot instead.

“His Gold Cup for quite a while has been the Reynoldstown and then if he passes that test well, and doesn’t have too hard a race, we’d be looking at the three-mile-five amateur riders’ chase at Cheltenham then.

“If Paul Nicholls doesn’t need him, we’d be hopeful of getting Will Biddick, who was second for us in the race a few years ago.

“We’d like to renew that partnership if we can, but if Paul needed him, he’d ride for Paul, I’d imagine.”

Honeyball is also hoping Credo can make it third time lucky in terms of winning at Haydock this term, as she travels back up to Merseyside for the Virgin Bet Grand National Trial.

The nine-year-old finished second and third there, behind Famous Bridge on both occasions, before a creditable fourth in the Classic Chase at Warwick.

“She could be up against Famous Bridge again, who has beaten her twice but was pulled up in the Great Yorkshire, so we might have a chance against him this time,” said Honeyball.

“She’s been ever so consistent and is a cracking mare. We feel like maybe one of these has got her name on it.

“She’s had a lot of hard races now, so we could be due a bit of a drop off, but we have targeted this race, so we just hope we’ve got another big effort under the bonnet.

“She’ll handle the ground whichever way it goes; if it goes soft, she’ll handle it and if it goes better ground over three and a half, that’s fine as well.

“She’s probably one of those that just falls into the category of more than likely she’ll run her race, but will she always find one or two too good for her.

“But we’re just hoping this one has got her name on it.

“We’ve got horses in there in the mix for all these big races and it’s been going like that this season, which is great.”

Dan Skelton believes there are “no negatives” as he prepares to send Protektorat into battle against Shishkin in Saturday’s Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury.

Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin will be a warm order to open his account for the campaign, having looked the likely winner of the King George VI Chase before unseating Nico de Boinville two fences from home.

However, in Protektorat he faces a high-class and race-fit rival who Skelton is confident heads into the Grade Two contest in rude health.

He said: “He’s in great form and we were always going for this race. Shishkin has turned up and we can’t choose our opposition, but we’ll give it a good go.

“We’re very happy with our horse and there are no negatives.”

Protektorat only ran three times last season, with a brilliant victory in the Betfair Chase followed by a fourth-placed finish in the Cotswold Chase and fifth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

The nine-year-old disappointed when defending his Betfair Chase crown at Haydock in November, but bounced back when finishing third under a big weight at Cheltenham the following month before chasing home leading Gold Cup contender L’Homme Presse in the Fleur De Lys Chase at Lingfield three weeks ago.

With his charge having been beaten in the last two renewals of the blue riband at Cheltenham, Skelton is happy to campaign him a little more aggressively this term, adding: “He seems in great form and why not run him?

“You can sometimes get to the end of a horse’s career and wish you’d ran them a bit more, so we’re happy to give it a go.”

Henderson is similarly pleased with Shishkin’s preparation, as the former star two-miler looks to establish himself as a genuine Gold Cup contender.

“Nico rode him out on Saturday morning and schooled him Wednesday morning. He jumped five fences and there was no point in him jumping any more,” said the Seven Barrows handler.

“I do think he is in good form and he was very sharp Wednesday morning. Nico said he felt in terrific form and we’re happy on that score.

“He’s pretty versatile in terms of ground, I don’t think you would want him in very, very soft ground, but we don’t have much option. He has to go here, as there is nowhere else to go and he needs a race.”

Whether Shishkin would have held off the fast-finishing Hewick had he completed the King George course is open to question, but Henderson said: “I think he would have won. Whatever the result, it was a very good run for what was effectively his first run of the season.

“Nico, from what he told me, felt he would have won. Obviously, he didn’t see the unfolding of the race after the last like we did and the Irish horse (Hewick) came home with a right rattle down the outside.

“He should come on for that and he needs to have another run if he is to run in the Gold Cup, which we are hoping to do.

“It’s the ideal race, as Newbury is a lovely track and it’s nice and local for us.

“With Protektorat running, he will probably be guaranteed a good gallop and it will be handy just to get a lead, I suppose. He’s very happy leading and Nico was very happy to send him on in the King George, as he felt the race needed keeping honest – so he would be very happy if he did end up in front.”

Shishkin will line up with form figures of R and U, having refused to start on his seasonal reappearance at Ascot prior to his fine effort before coming to grief at Kempton on Boxing Day.

While not counting his chickens, Henderson is hopeful there will be no pre-race antics on Saturday.

He added: “He can be a character and the odd thing about him is at the beginning of the season, I suppose when he’s very fresh in that build-up period, he can be a bit of a plonker.

“When he’s stroppy, he’s stroppy, but he only really does it at the beginning and now where we are with a race under his belt, he’s no problem at all.

“I won’t say I don’t see any problems, as you always have it in the back of your mind, but he was very good at Kempton on what would be quite a tricky start for him, going away from the stables and paddock.”

Paul Nicholls has saddled a record 10 previous winners of the race, with his Gold Cup heroes See More Business (2000), Kauto Star (2007) and Denman (2008) among those on the roll of honour.

This time around, the Ditcheat maestro saddles last year’s runner-up Hitman, who has finished tailed off in each of his two starts so far this term.

“He needed the run at Cheltenham last month after his latest wind op and has come on nicely for the outing,” Nicholls told Betfair.

“I’m hopeful he can pick up some place money before another crack at the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.”

Kim Bailey’s Does He Know and the Anthony Honeyball-trained Sam Brown are the other hopefuls.

Connections of Fact To File are attempting to temper their enthusiasm slightly following his impressive display at the Dublin Racing Festival.

With his sole rival and Willie Mullins-trained stablemate Gaelic Warrior failing to run up to the level of form he showed when winning at Limerick, it is hard to know quite what he achieved.

But as the times suggested Fact To File reached the last fence much faster than Heart Wood – who won a handicap chase over the same distance later on the card – before being allowed to coast home, plenty are getting excited over what the future may hold.

He is entered in the Turners Novices’ Chase over two and a half miles and the Brown Advisory over three at Cheltenham next month but his target has yet to be decided.

“I was a little surprised how good he looked. You have to be careful not to get too carried away with it, there was only one to beat and he didn’t perform for whatever reason, so you’ve got to bear that in mind,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“But we were delighted with everything, the way he jumped especially and he’s come out of it good, so we’re looking forward to the future with him.

“We don’t know at the minute which race it will be, we’ll decide nearer the time.

“There may have only been two but they went a right good gallop, the question you’d have is that at the business end, he had nothing to beat, so we’ll try not to get too carried away with it. You could only be pleased with him, though.”

The green and gold silks were also carried by Mullins’ Majborough, who finished third, beaten less than two lengths, on his Irish debut in the Grade One Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

“Majborough ran a lovely race, he jumped well and you’d be very pleased with him,” said Berry.

“Hopefully he’ll come forward from that a bit, as it was his first for Willie.

“It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get him started earlier but that’s the way it turned out.

“He’s come out of the race good and we’ll see where he goes next. He’s a nice, big horse and hopefully he’ll have a good future.”

One big disappointment for McManus was A Dream To Share, who lost his unbeaten record when only sixth in the Grade Two bumper he won last year.

His hurdling career had been put on hold due to a setback but he will head over obstacles when the new season begins in May.

“A Dream To Share was a little disappointing. The ground by the end of the day was quite tacky and it might have just found him out,” said Berry.

“He’s come out of the race good and we’ll look forward to getting him started over hurdles in the new season.

“We’ll see down the road if he’s one for the Flat but we’re keen to get him started over hurdles when we can.”

Willie Mullins goes in search of further riches at Newbury on Saturday as he unleashes fascinating French recruit Ocastle Des Mottes in the Betfair Hurdle.

Ireland’s perennial champion trainer obliterated the opposition at last weekend’s Dublin Racing Festival, enjoying a clean sweep in the eight Grade Ones and nine winners from 15 races overall.

A week on, he goes in search of a first victory in Britain’s most valuable handicap hurdle with a horse who has yet to run this side of the Channel, but has won twice over obstacles in his homeland.

Carrying the colours of prominent owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede for the first time, it is no surprise bookmakers are taking no chances and have priced Ocastle Des Mottes as clear favourite, but connections are not getting carried away.

“Basically, he’s a horse that’s been bought for steeplechasing next year, so if we were going to run him this spring, we were going to run him in a valuable handicap hurdle,” said the owners’ racing manager Anthony Bromley.

“He’s lower rated in England than in Ireland, so that’s why he’s coming to England and it will give him some experience of big fields and the tempo of British racing.

“Two miles might be a bit short for him, he does want soft ground. I wouldn’t know if he should be favourite, but I find that the French horses that have their first run in an English, big-field handicap, they can get a shock from the tempo of the race.

“The race will tell us a lot more about the horse. We like the horse, but he’s next year’s project and we want to learn a little bit more about what trip he needs moving forwards.

“As he’s lower rated here, we thought we’d start him off in an English race and it’s obviously the richest handicap hurdle in the UK, so why not have a dart at it – and a good one.”

Mullins will also be represented by outsider Alvaniy, ridden by Bryony Frost, and the enigmatic Onlyamatteroftime, who was called up as first reserve following the withdrawal of Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename.

Harry Cobden had been set to partner Tellherthename but now switches to Ito Ditto, twice a winner at Chepstow this term.

Nicky Henderson has won the Betfair Hurdle on five occasions, with dual winner Geos (2000 and 2004) joined on the roll of honour by Sharpical (1998), Landing Light (2001) and My Tent Or Yours (2013).

This year, the Seven Barrows handler fires a four-pronged assault, with top-weight Luccia accompanied by Iberico Lord, Under Control and Doddiethegreat.

“The ground is going to be important and I’m never sure about Luccia. She won a bumper at Sandown in desperate ground very impressively and we all got the impression that was how she wanted it, but I’m not so sure she does. I think better ground helps her,” said Henderson.

“I know Nico (de Boinville) feels Iberico Lord will like the soft ground and probably Doddiethegreat – they might be the soft ground boys.

“I cannot explain Iberico Lord’s run last time, his performance was shocking really. Nothing came to light and his work has been very good, so there is nothing you can do but go again.”

Of Under Control, he added: “She only ran a fortnight ago, but that doesn’t worry me, as at the backend of last season, we backed her up from a race at Cheltenham to Sandown in nine days and she was very impressive at Sandown.

“I don’t think she got a desperately hard race to be honest at Doncaster in the mares’ Grade Two. She was well beat by Willie Mullins’ mare, but then anyone can be beat by a Willie Mullins mare! I’m looking forward to her running.”

Neil King has high hopes for Lookaway, who has enjoyed a well-earned break since filling the runner-up spot behind Captain Teague in the Grade One Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury in late December.

King said “There’s no getting away from it, he had a hard race in the Challow; he battled and fought all the way to the line in testing conditions there.

“I thought at the time that he definitely wouldn’t want to go anywhere for a month after that, although in fairness to him, he did actually bounce out of the race quite nicely and was fresh and well the next week. But I’m sure he’ll benefit from waiting just that little bit longer.

“I’m confident the rain will help us as well, I’d have been far more worried if it had been a really drying time and got on the fast side of good, because then two miles might have been a bit sharp for him in that calibre of race.”

Brentford Hope has been one of Harry Derham’s star performers in the early stages of his training career and he now has the chance to provide the handler with his biggest victory to date.

A course-and-distance winner in November, he was third again over track and trip in the Gerry Feilden, with the testing conditions set to be a positive.

“He likes Newbury and it is like a home game to him,” said Derham.

“I absolutely got drowned on my gallop all morning on Thursday and that will help. It’s obviously an exceptionally competitive race, but we’ve kept him back over Christmas with this race in mind.

“I don’t think he’s exceptionally well handicapped, but I think he can run well. We’ve put cheekpieces on him for the first time, just because some horses run above themselves first-time in cheekpieces and if you are going to run above yourself, you might as well do it in a Betfair Hurdle.

“The rain has come at the right time, he’s in good form, and we’re going to have a go.”

Harry Fry feels the rain-softened ground will bring the best out of Altobelli, who has gone close in a couple of similar races at Ascot already this term.

He said: “Conditions will certainly play to the strengths of Altobelli, who has run well in two competitive handicaps at Ascot, including the last day when the ground had dried up plenty for him.

“If you watch the replay back and see his action, it is really clear that he wants a good cut in the ground, so he’ll relish conditions on Saturday and we’re hoping he can transfer that good form at Ascot across to Newbury and be very competitive. We’re looking forward to it.”

Testing conditions will be the order of the day at Newbury on Saturday but no problems are anticipated if the forecast proves correct.

While more rain has fallen at the Berkshire track than was expected earlier in the week, no inspection is currently planned.

“We’ve had 45 millimetres this week, which is more than we were anticipating on Monday ahead of entries,” clerk of the course George Hill told Sky Sports Racing.

“We were expecting 25-35mm in total after entries but we’ve had more and we’ve seen a few tracks caught out already, but luckily we’re OK as we stand at the moment.

“The going is heavy, soft in places at the moment. We’re expecting 2-7mm, the forecasters are saying, but the heaviest of that will be this afternoon, so we’ll monitor that. It is due to finish by 5pm, so fingers crossed we only get what is forecast and we don’t end up with more, as we’re looking forward to tomorrow.

“I don’t think it will have a chance to get holding or tacky, I think it will ride as described or a little better, given we could have a dry 18 hours.

“The track is in very good condition, we’ve got fresh ground on both tracks and we vertidrained the track last week, which helped us out massively ahead of this heavy rain.

“Obviously, the Betfair Hurdle has filled for the first time in four years, which is fantastic, it’s great to have the Willie Mullins horses, they arrived in the early hours of the morning safe and sound.”

Unfortunately, Saturday’s meeting at Warwick has been called off due to a waterlogged track.

The fixture was due to feature both the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase and the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle, in which Cheltenham candidate You Wear It Well was set to run.

However, a total of 36mm of rain fell at the track on Thursday, leaving the course unfit for action.

Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said: “We had 36mm in total yesterday, it started about 4am and carried on through to midnight.

“When we came in this morning, parts of the back straight where it runs parallel with Gog Brook are waterlogged, as that was put on red alert last night, while the owners and trainers car park has flooded and that has spilled onto the track.

“We are basically about 50 per cent under water, so there is really no hope of racing.”

Uttoxeter were also due to race on Saturday, but that fixture has been abandoned.

The course is waterlogged, with further rain forecast.

Friday’s meeting at Kempton got the go-ahead after a morning inspection, while the other scheduled jumps fixture at Bangor was called off on Thursday afternoon.

Martin Brassil is relishing the prospect of running Fastorslow in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, confident his star performer will not let him down on the big occasion.

Brassil’s flag-bearer had got the better of reigning Cheltenham champion Galopin Des Champs in both the Punchestown Gold Cup last April and the John Durkan earlier this season, but suffered defeat at the hands of Willie Mullins’ charge in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last weekend.

Although beaten four and a half lengths, Fastorslow more than played his part in what was a terrific showpiece to the Dublin Racing Festival – and with the race run to suit the defending champion, Brassil was content with the performance of his charge.

He said: “We were very happy with the run and he hadn’t run since November 26, so you have to be very happy with it.”

There was an argument to suggest Fastorslow may have been able to test Galopin Des Champs on the run-in if he had not been distracted by the front-running mount of Paul Townend at the final obstacle.

However, Brassil believes that is immaterial to the outcome of this particular battle.

“We might have got a flyer (at the last, if Galopin Des Champs had not jinked) but my horse was quick to spot what the other horse did and he just hesitated and got over the fence carefully,” explained Brassil.

“He was on the back foot then and Galopin Des Champs had him all the way to the line. However, I don’t think there would have been any different result I would say, he had the run of the race dictating it, so in that race he always had our measure.”

Fastorslow now heads to Prestbury Park as the general 4-1 second favourite for the Gold Cup, as he prepares to tackle the odds-on favourite for a fifth time, with the score currently 2-2, but Brassil is expecting a much deeper event on March 15 at a venue where his charge has performed well in the past.

“If you headed into a Gold Cup only worrying about one horse, then you wouldn’t be doing too bad, but I’m sure there will be a lot more competition when we get to the race though,” he added.

“He seems to like Cheltenham, which is always a positive. He’s a horse who has never let us down and you can always depend on him to perform at his best. Sometimes that’s good enough and others you come up a bit short. If he continued to do that, there will be no one complaining.

“It’s five weeks today we’re working towards and we’re looking forward to it.”

Iroko is on course to make the Cheltenham Festival but which race he runs in has still to be decided.

Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, the six-year-old won the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle at the meeting last season in the famous JP McManus colours.

He went on to finish third to Apple Away in Grade One company at Aintree and reappeared over fences at Warwick in early November, putting up a faultless chasing debut over two and a half miles.

Unfortunately he picked up an injury a couple of weeks later that connections initially felt would rule him out for the season, however, he has returned to full training much quicker than anticipated and has been entered in the Arkle and Turners Novices’ Chases next month.

While Greenall favours the Turners, McManus also owns ante-post favourite Fact To File which may have a bearing on his destination.

“I think he’ll get to Cheltenham,” said Greenall.

“He won’t be able to have a run before, there’s not enough time, but he’ll get to Cheltenham.

“Which race he’ll run in there, I’m still not sure. I’d rather go over two and a half miles but JP has obviously got other options in that, so we’ll just have to see.

“The Arkle may have opened up after last weekend but obviously he ran so well in the three-mile Grade One novice hurdle at Aintree.

“It’s great that he’s back anyway, and he’s back in full training.”

Saturday’s meeting at Warwick has been called off due to a waterlogged track.

The fixture was due to feature both the Grade Two Kingmaker Novices’ Chase and the Listed Warwick Mares’ Hurdle, in which Cheltenham candidate You Wear It Well was due to run.

However, a total of 36 millimetres of rain fell at the track on Thursday, leaving the course unfit for action.

Clerk of the course Tom Ryall said: “We had 36mm in total yesterday, it started about 4am and carried on through to midnight.

“When we came in this morning, parts of the back straight where it runs parallel with Gog Brook are waterlogged as that was put on red alert last night, while the owners and trainers car park has flooded and that has spilled on to the track.

“We are basically about 50 per cent under water, so there is really no hope of racing.”

Friday’s meeting at Kempton got the go-ahead after a morning inspection, although an area of the track is riding heavy, while the other scheduled jumps fixture at Bangor was called off on Thursday afternoon.