Halcon handed Cheltenham acid test

Connections of Halcon Genelardais aim to find out if their Welsh National winner is up to totesport Gold Cup standard with an outing in the Letherby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham on January 27.

Alan King plans to test the water with the seven-year-old in the recognised blue riband trial after his charge romped home by four lengths at Chepstow last month.

That effort saw Halcon Genelardais take his tally to four wins from five runs over fences. He has also been nibbled at in the Gold Cup market in recent days, with Coral now quoting him at 20-1.

King said: “He will run in the old Pillar and that should show us if he is a Gold Cup horse. If he isn’t, we could go for the Midlands National and it would have to be soft if he ran at Cheltenham. He is one of the most improved horses in the yard, and I was quite hard on him last year in giving him three runs in quick succession. He is best fresh and doesn’t hit so many flat spots.”

King expects to take his biggest numerical team to this year’s Festival – with last term’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle winner My Way De Solzen given three engagements.

The Irish Independent Arkle Trophy, the Royal & SunAlliance Chase and the Ryanair Chase are all possibles for the recent Grade Two winner.

His trainer had been favouring the Ryanair Chase for the novice, but is keeping options open. He said: “He will have one more outing before Cheltenham and will run over two miles in the Kingmaker Chase (Warwick, February 10).

“I am keeping all options open for the Festival as the Ryanair Chase is looking like a hot race.”