L’Homme Presse all set for Grade One assignment

Rain at Sandown would boost chances of Venetia Williams-trained seven-year-old.

Venetia Williams is hopeful the unseasonably dry weather takes a turn for the worse ahead of the Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

L’Homme Presse bids to enhance his claims for Cheltenham by maintaining his unbeaten record over fences, and any rain would be to the advantage of the seven-year-old.

“The plan is to run and it looks like there will be a bit of rain on Friday and it is much needed they way things are at the moment,” said Williams.

“Obviously, we are happy with him. He has done nothing wrong and are looking forward to it.”

Having made a tremendous start to his career over fences with victories at Exeter and Ascot, L’Homme Presse left a big impression when making all to win the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham by 10 lengths last month.

However, the in-form Kings Caple trainer is under no illusions about the task at hand.

She added: “It was a good run at Cheltenham. He hasn’t taken on the likes of Pic D’Orhy before though, so it is a tough race, but then it is a Grade One and therefore should be.”

The Esher track was expecting between three and five millimetres of rainfall from 7am on Friday morning before a cold night and a mild, clear day on Saturday.

Paul Nicholls is unconcerned by the likelihood of rain on a track that has not seen significant rainfall since the last meeting on January 8.

Venetia Williams says any rain will be much needed
Venetia Williams says any rain will be much needed (David Davies/PA)

In the two-and-a-half-mile level weights contest, he saddles Pic D’Orhy, who has won two out of three this season.

Having scored at Ffos Las in October, he blotted his copybook when falling four out when looking set to score in a Grade Two at Newbury the following month.

Yet he looked back to his best when dishing out a nine-length beating to Faivoir at Ascot just before Christmas.

Nicholls said: “It looks like he’ll get good ground, which is just what he wants. He won’t mind it if the ground stays as it is.

“He was a little unlucky at Newbury when he fell, otherwise he would have won three on the bounce, but he ran well and jumped well at Ascot last time. We were very happy with that.”

A last-minute decision will be made over Adrimel
A last-minute decision will be made over Adrimel (Michael Steele/PA)

Tom Lacey could leave a decision on whether to run Admirel until the last minute.

The seven-year-old won two bumpers and three of his five over hurdles, but was pulled up twice in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle and the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle when last in top-class company last spring.

However, first-time blinkers appeared to work the oracle at Haydock in December, when he took an extended two-mile novice chase at Haydock by 15 lengths on his second try over fences.

Lacey is also concerned about the drying ground, and said: “It was a good solid round of jumping at Haydock.

“He has had point-to-point experience and has had plenty of runs over hurdles. He seems to have a very solid, economical way of going.

“The ground is the biggest issue. A lot of tracks are riding a lot slower than the official descriptions would suggest they are. The ground is often riding more dead than described.

“If it was genuine good ground, the likelihood is he wouldn’t line up, but I’m of the mindset that we will declare and see what the jockeys say after the first race.

“At some point we do need to try him on better ground, because at Cheltenham and Aintree, you can just draw a line through those two runs.

“I don’t think that was necessarily (good to soft) ground.

“He just copes on softer ground when others don’t. He can really serve it up to other horses on deep ground.”

Nicky Henderson’s string remains in top form and he is represented by the Nico de Boinville-ridden Mister Coffey, who jumped left on occasions and lost a shoe when a narrow runner-up to Jacamar in at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Nicky Henderson is set to run Mister Coffey
Nicky Henderson is set to run Mister Coffey (David Davies/PA)

Henderson said: “We’re planning to run. He did a lot wrong last time and still nearly won.

“He did go left-handed at Kempton which probably cost him, but Nico is confident that with some company on a bigger track he’ll be much more tractable.

“I don’t know if he will but we’ve got to go somewhere and I’m happy to go there. He’s got loads of scope, he’s capable of some huge leaps.”

Fugitif has won two from three outings over fences, including when taking a minor novices chase at Newcastle in good style last time.

Trainer Richard Hobson said: “He does and he doesn’t deserve his chance in a Grade One. I just can’t get my head around all these expensive horses which are bought week-in and week-out and it is such a small entry system.

“Two horses are 20lb superior and the rest are round about his mark, and I just felt it was worth popping him in.

“He is a stayer in the making, and the step up in trip, whether it is right now or wait until next season, is the right thing to do.

“The small field for such a prize is crazy. The pace of the race will be hot early on. Anything can happen and if we slot in somewhere, you never know.

“You only get one chance as a novice to run for that sort of pot.

“He is very well and a big baby, but I have always felt he is a Saturday afternoon horse from day one. Whether it now or next year, I don’t know.”

The line-up is completed by the Jane Williams-trained Gladiateur Allen, who was a faller in the Dipper Chase at Cheltenham last time, having previously been beaten 30 lengths by Pic D’Orhy at Ascot.

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