Push takes Chepstow challenge

Don’t Push It, as low as 8-1 for the Royal & SunAlliance Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, is set to run over two miles at Chepstow on Friday.

Having chased home SunAlliance favourite Denman at Cheltenham in November, he returned to Prestbury Park to beat Mr Pointment a month later.

And despite both of those races being over two miles and five furlongs, he is being brought back in trip for the Firstplus Novices’ Chase to see if he has the speed for the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy, for which he is a 16-1 chance.

“It’s all up in the air with him. We thought he was a SunAlliance horse but he also has an entry in the Arkle,” said Frank Berry, racing manager to owner JP McManus.

“It would be nice to think he would be good enough to line-up in one of those.

“Everything is up in the air with him at the moment and hopefully it will become clear after Friday at Chepstow.

“Jonjo (O’Neill, trainer) thinks he is a very nice horse and he has done everything we have asked of him but it looks like Friday could tell us a bit more.”