Trainers Emma Lavelle and Dan Skelton are mulling their options for the two biggest prizes at The November Meeting at Cheltenham later this month - the £160,000 G3 BetVictor Gold Cup (The November Meeting Saturday, November 17) and the £100,000 G3 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle (The November Meeting Sunday, November 18).
The lightly-raced nine-year-old Javert (Emma Lavelle) has won on four of his seven chase starts. His most recent success came in a handicap chase at Uttoxeter on September 23, staged over the same two-and-a-half-mile distance as the BetVictor Gold Cup.
Javert had been off the course for two and a half years prior that victory and he then finished a length and a quarter second to Frodon (Paul Nicholls) in the G2 Monet's Garden Old Roan Limited Handicap Chase, also over two and a half miles, at Aintree on October 28.
Lavelle, who is based near Marlborough in Wiltshire, commented: "We are delighted with Javert.
"He ran a brilliant race in the Old Roan behind Frodon. He jumped and travelled really well, and handled the step up in class.
"We were thrilled with him at Uttoxeter in September when he won despite having been off the track for so long.
"The plan after Uttoxeter was to head to Aintree. I couldn't keep him ticking over until November as he was so fresh and well.
"The trip at Uttoxeter and Aintree was one he handled, and he is a marvellous horse to have in the yard.
"I think the BetVictor Gold Cup at Cheltenham will remain the plan."
Javert, who is owned by an Axom Racing syndicate, is a 20/1 chance for glory on November 17 with BetVictor.
BetVictor Gold Cup, BetVictor bet: 8/1 Mister Whitaker, Rather Be; 10/1 Baron Alco, Rene's Girl; 12/1 Romain De Senam; Thistlecrack; 14/1 Aso, Happy Diva, Ramses de Teillee; 16/1 Ballyandy, Benatar, Frodon, Full Glass, Kalondra, Kings Socks, Le Prezien, Sizing Granite, West Approach; 20/1 Adrien Du Pont, Copain De Classe, Magic Saint, Modus, Movewiththetimes, Splash of Ginge, Janika, Javert, Shantou Village, Top Gamble; 25/1 Beggars Wishes, Dolos, Guitar Pete, Theinval, Activial, Ballybolley, Born Survivor, Casablanca Mix, Cloudy Dream, Garde La Victoire, Shanahans Turn, Zamdy Man; 33/1 Willie Boy, Black Scorpion, Bouvreuil, Cepage, Cobra de Mai, Crievehill, Eamon An Cnoic, Geordie des Champs; 50/1 Henryville, Sister Sybil, Whoshotwho
Each-Way ¼ odds - 1, 2, 3, 4
Nube Negra (Dan Skelton) is a possible starter for the £100,000 Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, staged over an extended two miles on The November Meeting Sunday, November 18.
The four-year-old was a useful juvenile hurdler last season, coming home third in the Boodles Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle at The Festival presented by Magners in March and finished off his campaign by taking fifth behind We Have A Dream in the G1 Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree's Randox Health Grand National Festival the following month.
Warwickshire-based Skelton, who recently set a new record for the fastest 100 winners in Jump Racing, revealed: "Nube Negra is in good form at home.
"I am looking forward to him running this season and hopefully he can be an exciting horse for us.
"He was entered last weekend, but I think the Greatwood is where I want to start him off.
"He ran a nice race in the Fred Winter at The Festival last season.
"He is only a four-year-old and has to race against older horses, which is never an easy task, especially in a competitive race like the Greatwood, but I really like him and I am hopeful of a good season before heading chasing next year."
Nube Negra is a 12/1 chance for glory with sponsor Unibet.
Weights for both the BetVictor Gold Cup and the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle will be unveiled at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, November 7.
Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle, Unibet bet: 8/1 If The Cap Fits; 10/1 Silver Streak, Verdana Blue; 12/1 Off You Go, Nube Negra, Storm Rising, Whatswrongwithyou; 14/1 Apple's Shakira, Western Ryder, Golden Spear, Malaya, Uradel; 16/1 Ballymoy, Brelade, Hunters Call, Charli Parcs, Ch'tibello, Global Citizen, Grand Sancy, Le Patriote, Old Guard, Shanning; 20/1 Brianstorm, Cliffs of Dover, Destrier, Deyrann de Carjac, Divin Bere, Jolly's Cracked It, Tudor City; 25/1 Midnight Shadow, Mohaayed, Redicean, Irish Roe, Ivanovich Gorbatov, Moabit, Mr Antolini, Nietzsche, Padleyourowncanoe, Smaoineamh Alainn, Symphony of Angels; 33/1 Gumball, Style De Garde, Vado Forte, Caius Marcius, Canyon City, Friday Night Light, Garo de Juilley, Mad Jack Mytton, Man of Plenty, Simply The Betts; 40/1 Magic Dancer, Not That Fuisse, Notwhatiam; 50/1 Equus Amadeus, Icario, Potters Story
Each-Way ¼ odds - 1, 2, 3, 4
The November Meeting at Cheltenham takes place over three days - Countryside Day, Friday, November 16; The November Meeting Saturday, November 17 and The November Meeting Sunday, November 18, and marks the start of the main part of the Jump season.
