Potters Charm team happy to drop back for Formby test

Connections do not expect a drop back in trip to be a major hindrance to Potters Charm after taking a “tactical view” to run in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day.

An 11-length winner on his bumper debut at Ffos Las in the spring, the five-year-old has since completed a hat-trick over hurdles, with an initial success at Worcester followed by back-to-back victories at Cheltenham.

With each of those wins coming over a distance of around two and a half miles, the Challow Novices’ Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday appeared Potters Charm’s most likely Christmas target.

However, while the Challow has an illustrious roll of honour, several recent winners have been found wanting at Cheltenham in March, prompting the Nigel Twiston-Davies team to consider an alternative route.

“It’s very exciting, we’re dropping back in trip and the ground should suit,” said Willy Twiston-Davies, assistant to his father.

“It looks an easier race than the Challow, realistically. I did a lot of research and the Challow can be quite a hard race to win and a lot of horses that run in it don’t tend to do much after. Even Denman went on and got beat at Cheltenham, so did Bravemansgame and the same owners (as Potters Charm) had Hermes Allen.

“It made more sense for this horse, from my point of view, to have an easier race and obviously we’re well clear on ratings.

“Hopefully it will sharpen up his jumping and if we get beat, we get beat for the wrong reasons, but he’s the best horse in the race and it’s a Grade One with the same prize-money as the Challow, so I just took a tactical view ahead of Cheltenham.”

Potters Charm may not have things all his own way, with several talented rivals lying in wait.

Jonjo and AJ O’Neill are represented by unbeaten Roadlesstravelled, while Sam Thomas is hoping ground conditions improve for Celtic Dino, who is two from two over hurdles and four from five overall.

“It’s a very good race. I wasn’t particularly mad about running him when the ground was described as soft, so I just pray that it keeps drying out,” said Thomas.

“We’ve got to go and find out where we fit in with all the other good novices and we’re in the middle of winter so we’re not going to get good ground, and he is definitely a horse that wants better ground in the spring.

“If it went very soft then we wouldn’t run, but it looks as though it’s going to be drying out if anything, so we’ll roll the dice and see how we go.”

Dan Skelton’s Country Mile was second to Roadlesstravelled in the Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock on his penultimate start before bolting up at Cheltenham a fortnight ago.

Speaking in his Ladbrokes blog, Skelton said: “I was really impressed with him on the last day at Cheltenham, where the race was perhaps set up for him, by going quick in front. But I should imagine they’ll be going quick in this race as well, and he travels very strongly.

“He likes his racing and it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. We’ve not got a lot to compare him to in this race to be honest. Of course, there’s Roadlesstravelled, who reopposes us, having got the better of us at Haydock. But that was on particularly bad ground (and) just wonder if we’re a little bit better on better ground.

“A dry forecast would suit him and I’m really looking forward to getting him out there in a Grade One.”

Further strength in depth is added by Miami Magic (Stuart Edmunds) and Junker d’Allier (Olly Murphy), who are both unbeaten after two starts over hurdles, with Warren Greatrex’s outsider Good And Clever completing the field.