Edwardstone on course for Cheltenham return

Arkle winner due to contest the Shloer Chase.

Arkle hero Edwardstone is set to return to the scene of his finest hour when making his seasonal bow in Cheltenham’s Shloer Chase next weekend.

Alan King’s eight-year-old was the standout two-mile novice chaser last term, winning graded races at Sandown, Kempton and Warwick on his way to Cheltenham Festival glor, where he ended the Barbury Castle handler’s seven-year drought at the Prestbury Park showpiece.

A shock defeat at Aintree did little to damage Edwardstone’s reputation and he is now on course to step out in open company over the larger obstacles for the first time in a race King has won with both Uxizandre (2014) and Sceau Royal (2018).

“Cheltenham is the plan, the race has been his target really all the way through,” said King.

“I’ve been really happy with him and hopefully we’ll get him started. Touch wood, everything has been lovely and gone to plan so far and now we’ve got the rain we’ll get him schooled and take it from there.”

Possible opponents include the likes of defending champion Nube Negra and the Grade Two contest will give King an early opportunity to see if Edwardstone should remain at two miles and be allowed to develop into a Champion Chase contender, or whether other options up in trip come into the reckoning.

On the possibilities following the Shloer Chase, King is willing to bide his time and added: “I think we’ll see how we get on next week and feel our way from there.”

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