Smart novice heads for Sandown

Exciting novice chaser Telemoss will bid to extend his unbeaten sequence over fences to four at Sandown Park on Saturday revealed trainer Nicky Richards.

The nine-year-old completed a chasing hat-trick at Newcastle earlier this month when beating Sir Storm much more easily than the two and a half lengths official margin might suggest.

He has been odds-on each time and Richards said on Saturday: “He will go for the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown, he did a nice bit of work this morning and I am happy with him.

“I don’t think he knew he had had a race at Newcastle, Tony (Dobbin) said we did more with him on the gallops on a Wednesday morning.”

However, the Greystoke trainer added: “One of two of ours have dirty noses, and I suppose a lot of others trainers have the same problem at this time of year – Shannon’s Pride is one of them and we won’t rush him, we will just wait until he comes right.”