King targets Exeter with Medermit

Alan King’s Grade One-winning chaser Medermit could make his seasonal reappearance in the Betfred Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on November 1.

The seven-year-old beat top-class novice Captain Chris at Sandown in February but was well beaten by the same rival when sent off favourite for the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

The grey then had to make do with the runner-up spot behind the exciting Wishfull Thinking at Aintree’s Grand National meeting, but King is looking forward to the season ahead.

“He’s fine and as long as the ground is all right the plan is for him to go to Exeter for the Haldon Gold Cup,” said King.

“If the ground doesn’t go his way there, I’d imagine we’ll have to wait for the Paddy Power Gold Cup, but we’ll just see how we go.

“He couldn’t win at the festivals in the spring but I thought he ran well at Aintree – the winner is probably just a very good horse.”

Another horse getting the Barbury Castle handler excited is Montbazon.

The Doncaster winner chased home Steps To Freedom in the Aintree bumper in the spring, a horse who is two from two over hurdles in Ireland.

“He’s a nice horse and hopefully he’ll run in the bumper at the Paddy Power meeting at Cheltenham,” King added.

“All going well he’ll then start off novice hurdling and we’ll see how we get on.”