Beauchene heading to Warwick

Andrew Thornton believes Miko De Beauchene is coming to hand nicely for the totescoop6 Leamington Novices’ Hurdle at Warwick on Saturday.

Robert Alner’s six-year-old was last seen finishing a game runner-up in a novices’ hurdle at Chepstow where he was five lengths adrift of Paul Nicholls’ Be Be King – who is also set to reappear in the Leamington.

Thornton nominated Be Be King and the useful Oscar Park as Miko De Beauchene’s biggest dangers, but is confident his partner can do himself justice in the two-mile-five-furlong contest.

“He’s getting better with each outing and his last run was a grand performance,” said the jockey.

“It’s a competitive race and he’ll go chasing next year – he’s a smashing horse for the future.

“He knows Warwick well though and ran there on his hurdling debut in December 2004.

“Bee Bee King and Oscar Park are the main rivals but the horse is well and he’s at the right stage to have a crack at the Leamington.

“And as the old cliché goes: ‘If you don’t buy a ticket, you can’t win the lottery.’”