Feltham trial for Grands Crus

DAVID PIPE’S grey Grands Crus adds further star quality to an already glittering St Stephen’s Day card at Kempton as he takes his next step up the ladder in the williamhill.com Feltham Novices’ Chase.

The three-mile Grade One is a frequent breeding ground for future champions, with Jair du Cochet and the ill-fated Gloria Victis winning over the last decade or so, while the most recent graduate was the King George hero Long Run back in 2009.

Grands Crus beat all bar the legendary Big Buck’s over three miles and hurdles last season, but has always been viewed as a future chaser and nothing he has shown in two races to date over fences has changed that opinion.