Brig chasing New Year's honours

Rehearsal Chase winner Harmony Brig will bid for another valuable prize in the £60,000 TurfTV New Year Chase at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Nicky Richards has been pleased with the eight-year-old since he struck at Newcastle but admits the drop in trip to two miles and five furlongs is a minor concern.

He said: “I was delighted with his performance at Newcastle and he seems in good form.

“He will be staying on up the hill at Cheltenham and the only fear is the race could be too short for him.

“If he is good enough, the three-mile handicap chase (the William Hill Trophy) will be his target at the Festival in March.”

Alan King’s Howle Hill made light of a long absence to win at Ascot in November but the trainer’s other entrant Kelrev is more likely to represent the yard on Tuesday.

King said: “Kelrev will run while my other entry Howle Hill could also turn up but is more likely to wait for Sandown.

“It was Kelrev’s first outing for me when he won at Newbury at the start of the month. We have given him a bit of time to freshen up again and we hope he runs well.”

Richards has also entered Boylesports.com Gold Cup fourth Faasel but is more likely to run him in the Steel Plate And Sections Hurdle, in which Black Jack Ketchum and Wichita Lineman are among the entries.

He continued: “I will probably run Faasel in the hurdle rather than the chase because it looks like being the easier race for him to win. He would nearly have top weight in the handicap chase.

“We are leaning towards this race but we will have to double check what is going to run.

“He is in fine form, which is why I want to run him on Tuesday. He ran a good race in the boylesports Gold Cup – though he is another who may prove best over three miles.”

King will rely on Blazing Bailey, who is yet to rediscover some of the form he showed last term.

“Blazing Bailey will run. He was very disappointing first time out and then a bit more like himself at Newbury,” King said.

“He is in good order. Two and a half miles will be plenty sharp enough but he is ready to have a run.

“Hopefully, he will run well and then go on to the Byrne Bros Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham later in January (Saturday, January 26).”