Butterfly Back For More

Like-A-Butterfly will make a quick reappearance at Aintree tomorrow following her victory in the Grade One Powers Gold Cup at Fairyhouse just 10 days ago.

The Christy Roche-trained 11-year-old left her fifth-placed effort in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase behind when responding well to a forceful ride by Tony McCoy.

After the race, Roche suggested the mare would head to the Punchestown Festival, but instead she will take on 11 rivals in the John Smith´s Mildmay Novices´ Chase.

'She came out of her last race very well and the ground and weather in Aintree will really suit her,' said owner JP McManus´s racing manager Frank Berry.

'The ground could easily have dried up in Punchestown but with the ground right in Aintree it made sense to send her over.

'She battled away last time out and jumped really well. We were really pleased with her.'

That victory came over two and a half miles, but Like-A-Butterfly, winner of the Supreme Novices´ Hurdle and the Irish Champion Hurdle, will step back up to three miles and a furlong tomorrow.

'She looked like she was staying on well enough over two and a half miles, so hopefully the three miles won´t be a problem,' added Berry. 'Aintree is an easy three miles and she is in good form, so we are hoping for a good run.'

Like-A-Butterfly faces a clash with soft-ground specialist Jazz D´Estruval in tomorrow´s Grade Two contest, although trainer Nicky Richards will check the track before committing the grey.

Arkle Trophy form will be represented by Limerick Boy, who was pulled up at the Cheltenham Festival, having easily beaten Lacdoudal in a Grade Two race at Kempton.

Lacdoudal reopposes tomorrow, having finished runner-up in a handicap at the Festival.

'It´s his first attempt at three miles and we think he will probably get it.

Aintree is a reasonable place to find out,' said managing director Andy Clifton of Favourites Racing, who own Limerick Boy.

'Sam Thomas says he was tanking along at Cheltenham when he hit the fourth-last, and he pulled him up before the last.

'They were probably going a stride too fast for him to organise himself at his fences at the Festival and that´s why we are stepping up him up in trip.

'He has won at Aintree as a novice hurdler and we are hopeful he will do himself justice.'

In addition to Like-A-Butterfly, SunAlliance form will be further represented by the fourth-placed L´Ami, while Martin Pipe fields just one runner in the David Johnson-owned National Hunt Chase fourth Control Man.

? PA Sport