Dempsey an Imperial possible

Dempsey could swerve the Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival for a tilt at the Sunderlands Imperial Cup at Sandown the weekend before.

Carl Llewellyn’s nine-year-old bounced back to form in spectacular style in the Grade Three Fraser Steele HBLB Handicap Chase at the Esher venue on his last start.

Jumping exuberantly throughout, he made every yard of the running under Timmy Murphy for a five-length success but Llewellyn is now keen to take advantage of a lenient handicap mark over timber and Dempsey’s preference for racing right-handed.

“It’s 50-50 whether he will run at Cheltenham as I’m going to put him in the Imperial Cup at Sandown the Saturday before,” said Llewellyn.

“He’s rated 132 over hurdles so he would have a couple of stone in hand on his chase rating.

“I’m going to put him in there and have a look at that and decide nearer the time.

“We’d love to go to Cheltenham with him because he is very well but there is that nagging doubt in the back of our minds that he is better on a right-handed track. Also, he has good form at Sandown.

“But on the other hand there is only one Champion Chase and he is in great form and if he did run he would have some sort of a chance.

“He has thrived since his last race and he is in absolutely fantastic form at the moment and I am very happy with him. He looks like a ball of muscle.”

Dempsey is a 14-1 chance with Stan James for the Queen Mother Champion Chase.