Ginge team ponder Plate as Cheltenham target
Connections of the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old are taking the positives from the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, despite his fall at the fourth-last fence.
Splash Of Ginge looked to be travelling well, not far behind the winner, Niceonefrankie, when coming down in what was only his fourth race over fences, and his first out of novice company.
Merseyside-based owner John Neild said: “It feels like one that got away for us.
“But of the many positives, he travelled much better than on his last run at Cheltenham and jumped much better.
“Take nothing away from the winner, but we think we could have gone close.
“He put his last run behind and we think he’s now back on track. It wasn’t a hard fall, a soft one, and he’s just crumbled on landing.
“We live to fight another day. He’s fine. He carried on and jumped the last three fences.
“We’ll have a think about it. My own personal view, without speaking to Nigel about it, is that we’ll probably look at something like the Byrne Group Plate and probably have one more run between now and then.
“We’re about 12 to 13 weeks from Cheltenham so I guess one run in about six or seven weeks’ time and then hopefully go to the Festival.
“Looking at Saturday, his mark is a reasonable one, but I’ll leave to Nigel once the dust has settled.”
Present View is being readied for a tilt at the BetBright Chase at Kempton in February.
Jamie Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner, who finished third in the Paddy Power Gold Cup last month, remains a novice over hurdles and that could be a route taken before his target race.
“I think we are working towards the BetBright Chase at Kempton. I’m sure he’s got a big handicap in him before he steps up in class.
“We’ll probably run him in a novice hurdle before then as it would be a long time without a run if he went straight from the Paddy Power to Kempton. As he’s still a novice, that’s something we can look at.
“If he doesn’t win at Kempton there are a couple of handicap options at the Festival for him. If not, I think the Topham at Aintree would suit him down to the ground.
“He only turns seven in a few weeks and I very much hope he has a big future.
“Hopefully he makes up into a Graded horse as he has a lot more to offer yet.”
