Talk set for Cheltenham bow

Idle Talk is “unlikely” to return to action in either the Bet365 Charlie Hall Chase or the United House Gold Cup Handicap Chase this weekend.

Tom George’s promising seven-year-old is currently engaged in both the Wetherby and Ascot contests but is likely to wait for the Jersey Graduation Chase at Cheltenham on November 12 instead.

With regard to this weekend, the Gloucestershire handler said: “We think he’s unlikely to go for either – unlikely would be the expression.

“Our initial plan all season has been to go for the intermediate chase at Cheltenham at the Paddy Power meeting and we’ll more than likely stick to that initial plan.

“I’m thrilled with him and he’s probably strengthened up a bit over the summer from last season.

“He’s looking good and I’ve been thrilled with the way he’s been working.”

George also nominated the Coral Welsh National, run at Chepstow on December 27, as a target for his second-season chaser.

“The Welsh National is quite high on our list and there are obviously quite a lot of other big races between now and then,” he added.

“We do have that in mind though and we might give him two runs before that I would have thought.

“The horse should improve this year and he doesn’t actually need extreme distances – he didn’t quite get the trip in the Scottish National as four miles one was just too far for him.

“But now he’s another year older, three and a half miles should be okay but there’s lots of other races for him.”