Abbey in rude health

Howard Johnson hopes Grey Abbey can bounce back to form in the skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Chase at Wetherby on St Stephen's Day.

The 11-year-old failed to fire on his sole start this season when pulled-up at the course in October’s Charlie Hall Chase.

Johnson said: “Grey Abbey has come back to himself now although he has to give them all a lot of weight, but he’s good enough.”

Grey Abbey is due to be retired at the end of the current campaign and Johnson is planning to give the 15-time winner two more runs after Wetherby.

He added: “The plan has always been the Letheby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham, which he won last year.

“I only put him in this race because he’s so well – so I thought I’d go for this first.

“He’ll probably only have one run after the Cheltenham race and then he’ll definitely be retired after Aintree in April.

“He’ll go for the Betfair Bowl or we may have one tilt at the Grand National and then he’ll be parked up and retired.”