Newcastle

11:53 – Lavender Hill Mob

I think James [Owen] has already spoken quite highly of him publicly, and obviously he already has some good, winning juveniles to compare him to. His Flat form for Michael Bell obviously reads very well, being a 96-rated middle-distance performer, so hopefully I am in for a very good spin here.

2.10pm – Sir Gino

Obviously, everyone knows chasing was the plan for him until recently, but I don’t think the switch to a hurdling campaign will be a problem for him. The opposition might be, but we will see soon enough. We thought he was one of our best Cheltenham prospects after he was hugely impressive defeat of Burdett Road last January and our decision to play it safe at the Festival, given the form of the yard at the time, paid off when he won his Grade 1 at Aintree in April. He is a horse of huge potential, he is in great order, and we will get a handle on just how good he is here, with Mystical Power ranged against us, and plenty more besides.

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