McCain mulls Regal plan

Donald McCain’s exciting prospect Regal Heights will line up in Saturday’s Cyril Alexander Memorial HBLB Novices’ Chase at Kelso and is unlikely to be risked at the Cheltenham Festival.

A winner at Haydock last time, Regal Heights finished a 17-length second to My Way De Solzen at the same track previously and also recorded a victory over the Cheltenham-bound King Revo earlier in the season.

The gelding has three Festival entries of his own, but McCain said: “I am favouring swerving at Cheltenham at the moment.

“He is only six, rated 139, and potentially very good, so we want to look after him for the years to come and keep him improving.

“He is in at Kempton on Saturday but will run at Kelso and then we will try to find him something later in the season.”

Regal Heights got much closer to My Way De Solzen at Haydock than he did in a previous outing at Lingfield, and his trainer feels he would have gone closer but for one costly jumping error.

“We never expected to beat him but Regal Heights travelled sweetly throughout. But for a mistake at the third last, we could have been closer,” he added.