Dempsey on course for Chandler

Trainer Mark Pitman revealed Queen Mother Champion Chase entry Dempsey is on course for a crack at the Victor Chandler Chase at Cheltenham on January 28.

After beating Tikram by three-quarters of a length in a competitive handicap at Sandown on Saturday, Pitman believes the Victor Chandler offers the eight-year-old a perfect follow-up race.

“He’s fine now, but he did suffer a couple of nasty over-reaches during the race,” said the Upper Lambourn handler.

“It looked a hot race on paper but he had them all burned off at the last and it was only because he got a little tired, and Tikram stayed on so well, that the winning margin was not bigger.

“He will probably go up to a mark of around 150 after that so the Victor Chandler is the obvious race for him and after that, we will take it from there.”

Pitman believes Dempsey would also come into the reckoning for the Queen Mother Chase at the Cheltenham Festival – as long as he performs with credit in the Victor Chandler, for which he is a 9-1 chance with the sponsors.

“He has done everything we have ever asked so far,” added the trainer.

“He has won a bumper, three novice hurdles and a novice chase – as well as winning on Saturday – and we have always held him in the highest regard.

“If he does run a big race at Cheltenham, we would then have to consider the Queen Mother back there in March as it is such an open year.”