Going to dictate Defi Festival hopes
Connections say the going will be assessed before it is decided whether or not Defi Du Seuil will run at the Cheltenham Festival.
The six-year-old looked sharp as he got revenge on recent Cheltenham conqueror Lostintranslation, beating Colin Tizzard’s charge by three-quarters-of-a-length in Saturday’s Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown. A third meeting in quick succession could come at the Festival as Defi Du Seuil holds entries for both the Arkle Trophy and the JLT Novices’ Chase. Hobbs’ assistant Johnson White said after Saturday’s run that jockey Barry Geraghty was encouraged with what his mount had produced, but his Prestbury Park hopes will depend on how the ground is come the second week of March. ‘He saw the trip out well and I guess the race at Cheltenham will depend on the ground,’ White said. ‘He was a good horse in his juvenile season and then last season was a write-off, but we knew he was a good horse and he’s come back after last term. ‘He’s done plenty of schooling at home but we just thought he might have wanted a bit more, but saying that he’s got better every time he’s gone racing. ‘That was a very good horse race today. Lostintranslation beat us last time and they are two lovely horses.’
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