Star out to shine

All Star bids to book his ticket for the Cheltenham Festival with victory in tomorrow’s totesport.com Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Nicky Henderson’s charge is part of a small but select field of just four runners in the Grade One contest over two and a half miles.

The seven-year-old won on his chasing debut at Ascot last November, but suffered a minor mishap after that race and has taken some time to come right.

However, Henderson is keen to qualify All Star for the Jewson Novices’ Handicap Chase so he is pitched in at the top level tomorrow.

“He’s a very good horse. I thought the race for him at the Festival may be the Jewson, but you need three runs to qualify for that so if we want to go for that, we will have to get another run in after tomorrow,” he explained.

“He did the equine equivalent of twisting an ankle after the Ascot race and has taken some time to come right as he’s had a few other niggly problems and he might just need this,” he told At The Races.

Paul Nicholls’ dual winner New Little Bric, the Henrietta Knight-trained Aztec Warrior and Alan King’s Pretty Star also take their chance.