Sandown boost for Dempsey
The two-mile handicap has been rearranged and will now take place at Sandown on Saturday after Cheltenham’s weekend meeting was called off due to a frozen track.
Dempsey, an impressive winner over course and distance last time out, has been installed as Coral’s 5-1 favourite, while he shares that tag at the same price with the sponsors.
And Pitman believes his eight-year-old’s claims have been strengthened given the switch to the Esher track.
“He’ll run on Saturday in the Victor Chandler,” Pitman said yesterday. “If anything, the race being put back to this week could work in our favour.
“He’ll go to Sandown where he has run twice and won twice - he won last time out there this season and also last term as a novice. He’s in great form and is in top condition.”
The race has attracted 21 other entries, including the Paul Nicholls-trained Albuhera and Gary Moore’s Tikram, second behind Dempsey on his last outing.
Sue Smith is responsible for both Town Crier and Mister McGoldrick.
“Both horses are fine and all being well both will run on Saturday,” reported Smith. “Like everyone else we were obviously disappointed when Cheltenham was called off.
“We’ll just to have to see how much the ground dries up as there’s no rain forecast.”
Mister McGoldrick, conqueror of Albuhera in the Castleford Chase at Wetherby and runner-up to Al Eile in Haydock’s Champion Hurdle Trial, is also in the Agfa UK Hurdle on the same card.
“I’ll have to speak to the owner (Richard Longley) and see what he wants to do but he’ll go for one or the other,” Smith added.
Watering down the back straight to ensure safe ground has begun ahead of the big meeting.
As much as 10 millimetres will be put on parts of the troublesome area of the course as officials at prepare for an eight-race card that also includes the rearranged Cleeve Hurdle.
“We took a decision first thing morning and kicked on with it,” said clerk of the course Andrew Cooper.
“We just felt that, taking account of the weather forecast going forward and ground conditions here, we needed to do some watering ourselves in the back straight.
“The plan would be to water today and tomorrow and that would probably be as much as we would want to do. Hints of rain towards the weekend appear to have largely disappeared. We can assume it’s going to stay cool but without any penetrating frosts. At this stage we don’t envisage problems.”
The rescheduled HBLB Cleeve Hurdle will also take place at Sandown on Saturday and has attracted a competitive field of 15 possible runners.
Relkeel Hurdle winner Mighty Man and last season’s Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle hero No Refuge, who is on a four-timer, feature among the entries for the valuable three-mile event.
Francois Doumen’s French raider Millenium Royal and Long Walk Hurdle winner My Way De Solzen could also take their chance in the race, which had to be scrapped on Saturday due to Cheltenham’s abandonment.
Martin Pipe has entered Westender, while Nigel Twiston-Davies could be double-handed with Mistanoora and Redemption.
Last year’s winner Patriarch Express is also in the line-up, as is Jonjo O’Neill’s Fire Dragon, who has finished second on his last three starts over timber.
Paul Nicholls may give Sporazene the chance to make amends after he fell at Cheltenham last time out, while Attorney General bids to secure a third consecutive victory for trainer Jim Old.
Hughie Morrison’s Starzaan, Brewster, Sh Boom and Sword Lady complete the list of hopefuls at the entry stage.
