Daryl Jacob is relishing the return of talented chaser Sceau Royal in today's £75,000 G2 Shloer Chase (2.25pm) over two miles.
The six-year-old son of Doctor Dino enjoyed a tremendous novice chase campaign last season, winning four of his five starts over fences.
Trained by Alan King, Sceau Royal's highlights included success in the G1 randoxhealth.com Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in December and the G2 Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster in January.
A "tiny tweak on a suspensory" curtailed his season, forcing the gelding to miss all of the major spring festivals, but Jacob, retained rider to owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, is hopeful of a good start to the season with the gelding at Prestbury Park this afternoon.
Jacob said: "Sceau Royal seems to be in good form at home and we are looking forward to starting his season at Cheltenham.
"It was very disappointing to miss both Cheltenham and Aintree with him, but he seems to have got over his injury nicely and is well.
"He posted some good performances last season and won well at Sandown in G1 company - he has been a wonderful horse for Simon Munir & Isaac Souede.
"Sceau Royal got better and better as the year went along.
"He needs to improve to be Champion Chase material, but the Shloer Chase is a great race for him to start in.
"Conditions are right and we are going to learn an awful lot more about him today."
WESTERN BIDS TO RYDE TO GREATWOOD SUCCESS
Warren Greatrex is hopeful of a good showing from Western Ryder in today's feature race, the £100,000 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (3.00pm) over two miles.
A talented novice hurdler last season, the six-year-old son of Westerner was sixth in the G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival™ presented by Magners in March and has been well-backed for today's two-mile event with the race sponsor, constricting in price to 6/1 from 7/1. He is set to be partnered by champion jockey Richard Johnson and carries 11st 5lb.
Greatrex said: "Last year I thought Western Ryder was unlucky as we didn't quite get to see his full potential.
"He is in great form at home and I am really happy with him.
"Today is his first start in a handicap and we'll see if a mark of 145 is fair - which I think it is.
"He goes into the race with a live chance and he loves the track.
"These handicaps are very competitive. He is a class animal and seems to have matured over the summer - he seems a better horse this year.
"It's a very competitive race and we want to be competitive in this to see how we go forward.
"I would like to think we would be running in some big races towards the end of the season, hopefully in Graded company."
Western Ryder won the British Stallion Studs EBF National Hunt Novices' Hurdle at The International in December at Cheltenham last year. He also finished fifth in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in March, 2017.
The six-year-old son of Doctor Dino enjoyed a tremendous novice chase campaign last season, winning four of his five starts over fences.
Trained by Alan King, Sceau Royal's highlights included success in the G1 randoxhealth.com Henry VIII Novices' Chase at Sandown in December and the G2 Lightning Novices' Chase at Doncaster in January.
A "tiny tweak on a suspensory" curtailed his season, forcing the gelding to miss all of the major spring festivals, but Jacob, retained rider to owners Simon Munir & Isaac Souede, is hopeful of a good start to the season with the gelding at Prestbury Park this afternoon.
Jacob said: "Sceau Royal seems to be in good form at home and we are looking forward to starting his season at Cheltenham.
"It was very disappointing to miss both Cheltenham and Aintree with him, but he seems to have got over his injury nicely and is well.
"He posted some good performances last season and won well at Sandown in G1 company - he has been a wonderful horse for Simon Munir & Isaac Souede.
"Sceau Royal got better and better as the year went along.
"He needs to improve to be Champion Chase material, but the Shloer Chase is a great race for him to start in.
"Conditions are right and we are going to learn an awful lot more about him today."
WESTERN BIDS TO RYDE TO GREATWOOD SUCCESS
Warren Greatrex is hopeful of a good showing from Western Ryder in today's feature race, the £100,000 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (3.00pm) over two miles.
A talented novice hurdler last season, the six-year-old son of Westerner was sixth in the G1 Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle at The Festival™ presented by Magners in March and has been well-backed for today's two-mile event with the race sponsor, constricting in price to 6/1 from 7/1. He is set to be partnered by champion jockey Richard Johnson and carries 11st 5lb.
Greatrex said: "Last year I thought Western Ryder was unlucky as we didn't quite get to see his full potential.
"He is in great form at home and I am really happy with him.
"Today is his first start in a handicap and we'll see if a mark of 145 is fair - which I think it is.
"He goes into the race with a live chance and he loves the track.
"These handicaps are very competitive. He is a class animal and seems to have matured over the summer - he seems a better horse this year.
"It's a very competitive race and we want to be competitive in this to see how we go forward.
"I would like to think we would be running in some big races towards the end of the season, hopefully in Graded company."
Western Ryder won the British Stallion Studs EBF National Hunt Novices' Hurdle at The International in December at Cheltenham last year. He also finished fifth in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper in March, 2017.
