Ben Case debating whether to go back over hurdles with Cobblers Dream

Ben Case has not lost faith in Cobblers Dream, although he does admit the Lanzarote Hurdle winner has yet to take to fences.

Having taken the valuable Kempton prize in January, he chased home Banbridge in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockey’s Handicap Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Lady Jane Grosvenor-owned six-year-old looked primed for a bright future as a novice chaser, but things have yet to go according to plan.

Beaten 18 lengths by Gowel Road on his Ascot chasing bow in October, Jack Quinlan’s mount did not appear to relish fences on his next start at Uttoxeter, when a 13 lengths runner-up to The Cob.

Now his Edgcote-based trainer is mulling over the next move, which could see the six-year-old reverting to hurdles.

Case said: “We haven’t made any plans. When we schooled him earlier this year, I said he was as good a novice chaser as I’ve seen.

“But for whatever reason, he didn’t really take to it at Uttoxeter the other day. I’d given him a prep at Ascot and he needed the run, probably.

“But he didn’t really attack his fences with venom like you would want to see a young novice horse doing.

“I wouldn’t rule it out that we wouldn’t carry on and see if he improves, but the option now, as he is only a six-year-old, is to go back over hurdles.

“Jack (Quinlan) was in Monday morning to school him over hurdles and he jumped well, but that was hurdles on the all-weather.”

He went on: “It is up in the air as to whether we carry on over fences or go back over hurdles.

“It is a difficult one. He could improve and he may be just one of those horses who takes a little while to get the hang of it. But he had been so good at home, I was just a bit surprised by it.

“It was a tough race he ran in first time out and we were giving the winner a stone and a bit at Uttoxeter.

“Maybe it wasn’t such a bad run at all, but you’d just like to see him attack his fences better than what he did.

“He didn’t jump as well as you’d want a novice to. Jack said he was just a bit cautious. He was a safe jumper and everything. He was just a bit slow over his fences and all the time they are getting away from you, you can’t do that.

“There is a distinct possibility he could go back over hurdles.”