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King hoping Trade a Supreme contender

Alan KingAlan King
© Photo Healy Racing

Alan King is hopeful that Kempton jumpers' bumper winner Fair Trade could be a factor in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

Once smart enough to run in the 2000 Guineas when in the care of David Elsworth, the six-year-old demonstrated his class with a convincing victory over Champion Hurdle possible Pearl Swan and will now return to hurdles with the Festival on the agenda.

"His two runs for us over hurdles has (sic) taught him to settle much better and he showed his class in what I think was a hot field," King said in his exclusive Racing Post Weekender column.

"That will have done his confidence the world of good and we will now revert to hurdles in Kempton's Dovecote Hurdle.

"If all goes well there then I would hope he could be a Supreme Novices' Hurdle contender."

King also offered an upbeat report on the long-absent Bensalem and smart juvenile hurdler Grumeti, who were part of a small team sent to Kempton to work on Tuesday.

"Grumeti worked with Iolith over a mile and a half in a decent piece of work," confirmed King.

"Both Choc (Robert Thornton) and Wayne (Hutchinson) were delighted with their respective mounts.

"After the changeover I got Manyriverstocross and Bensalem - who has been out of action since April 2011 due to injury - to do a similar piece and again both pleased me with their efforts.

"The day out should hopefully have brought the team on and we can now sit down and start making plans in the near future."