Seedling among 65 Betfair Hurdle entries
Seedling has come of age since joining Greatrex from Charles Egerton and has won all three starts for his new handler, including a good event at Cheltenham last month.
Novices have a good record in the competitive handicap, with My Tent Or Yours and Splash Of Ginge in recent years obliging for the younger generation, and Greatrex is keen to strike while the iron is hot.
“The Betfair Hurdle is definitely a race we are looking at with Seedling. Novices have a good record in the race, he has run well around Newbury in the past and is improving,” said Greatrex.
“Seedling has been great this season. His last run at Cheltenham was very good and I would say that there is more improvement to come. The big field wouldn’t worry him as he has run in big-field novice races around Newbury before and that didn’t seem to bother him. He is pretty straightforward.”
Nicky Henderson has won the race five times and his biggest hopes would look to be Sign Of A Victory and Snake Eyes but he has also entered Vasco Du Ronceray, Royal Irish Hussar, Dawalan, Top Notch, Hammersely Lake, Rolling Star and Cool Macavity.
Willie Mullins has entered nine including Arctic Fire and Diakali who feature among 11 Irish entries in total, supplemented by Tony Martin’s Blair Perrone and Jessica Harrington’s Rock The World.
Calipto and Emerging Talent could run for Paul Nicholls while Greatwood winner Garde La Victoire, Cheltenian and Hello George have been entered by Philip Hobbs.
Activial and Jolly’s Cracked It, both trained by Harry Fry, Pine Creek and Get Me Out Of Here are other possibles.
