Ascot then Aintree on the cards for Regal Encore

February target before latest National bid.

Regal Encore will head back to Ascot next month before another trip to Aintree for a third crack at the Randox Health Grand National.

Now a 12-year-old, Anthony Honeyball’s stalwart returned to form with a vengeance at a course where he seems to run his best races when winning the valuable Silver Cup last time out.

That was his first win since February 2018 at Ascot, and he will return once more before hopefully heading back to Aintree, having finished eighth in 2017 behind One For Arthur and seventh last season.

“It was great to see him win again. We probably couldn’t have afforded him to drop any lower if we wanted to go back to the National,” said Honeyball. “He ran in it last year off 152 and he’d dropped to 142 before Ascot.

“There’s a chase at Ascot in February that he’s run in the past two years, winning it once and finishing third last year, and he’ll go back for it again as he’s 6lb lower this time.

“Hopefully if all goes well there it will be Aintree again after that. Hopefully he’ll head to the National off around the 146 he’s currently on.”

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Grand National Anthony Honeyball

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