Foreman out to stake Arkle claim

Thierry Doumen is hoping Foreman will show enough at Lingfield tomorrow to merit a place at the Cheltenham Festival.

The French raider tackles the intercasino.co.uk Novices’ Chase and Doumen is already eyeing a tilt at the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy if all goes well.

The eight-year-old won the 2004 Irish Champion Hurdle and although he was second in the Irish Arkle last year, he has yet to get his head in front over fences.

“If everything goes well on Saturday the ultimate aim is to take him over to Cheltenham in March,” said Doumen.

“I’ve given him a couple of runs over hurdles just to sharpen him up but the horse has been ready to run for three weeks but for one reason or another we haven’t been able to run him.”

Foreman will face just three rivals in tomorrow’s two-mile event, which is registered as the Lightning Novices’ Chase, including Paul Nicholls’ Le Volfoni.

However, Doumen believes his runner boasts the strongest credentials and should prove his class in the Grade Two event.

“He should be the best horse in the race tomorrow. He ran well in the Champion Hurdle, he won the AIG Champion Hurdle and he is a very decent horse,” the former jockey explained.

“I just thought we would learn more by taking him to England for a race rather than keeping him in France.

“The soft ground is a problem though. He prefers good ground but when he is very well he can cope with deep ground.

“I’m hopeful he will run well but it is a comeback race on very deep ground.”

Le Volfoni is on a four-timer with his last defeat coming at the hands of leading Arkle contender Voy Por Ustedes, and Nicholls believes he holds every chance.

“Joe Tizzard gets on well with him and has ridden him the last three times. He’ll love the ground and the track, and hopefully he will go nicely,” Nicholls told Teletext.

Eamonn Sheehy’s Kahuna makes the trip across the Irish Sea for the race while former prolific hurdle winner Marcel represents Martin Pipe.