Artic Jack’s Gold Cup aspirations facing Haydock trial

ARTIC JACK will have to run “a very big race” in the Red Square Vodka Gold Cup at Haydock on Saturday week if he is to line up for jump racing’s blue riband event at Cheltenham.

That was the message from connections of the eight-year-old after he worked over seven furlongs at the Merseyside track yesterday.

The Trevor Hemmings-owned gelding claimed the scalp of another Gold Cup aspirant, Kingscliff, when taking the Peter Marsh Chase at the same venue last month and will return to tackle the Grade Three handicap, in which he is set to carry 11st 11lb.