Gordon eyeing Aintree assignment for Bass Hunter

Bass Hunter will head to Aintree to bring down the curtain on his bumper career after a “gutsy” performance in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

The Authorized gelding impressed with an eight-length victory at Newbury on debut before winning a Listed event at Ascot to book his date at the Festival and Chris Gordon’s charge did not disgrace himself with a keeping-on third.

The six-year-old will now head for the Weatherbys Nhstallions.co.uk Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race immediately after the Grand National on Merseyside before attention turns to a campaign over hurdles next season.

Gordon, whose son Freddie was in the saddle at Cheltenham, said: “I’m really pleased with how he ran. I thought what was great, too, I thought he was going to get swallowed up in the straight and he sort of scrapped back really. I thought he looked really gutsy in the last furlong in the way he was coming back.

“He finished very strongly. I was very proud of the horse. He took the race very, very well, he’s bounced out of it extremely well and we’ll be looking at Aintree.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong for us, it would have been nicer if he won! He’s an absolutely solid horse and I was very proud of the way he conducted himself before the race. I thought he might be a horse that might just lose it a bit there, but not at all, and he’s obviously keen in his races as everyone can see he wanted to get on with it.

“To do what he did which was jump off in front, it’s a pretty hard thing to go and do at somewhere like Cheltenham, but he still ran an absolute blinder and I think Aintree will suit him as well.

“That will then be it for the season and then we’ll do plenty of schooling with him after Aintree before we put him out to grass.

“It’ll be a hurdling campaign next season, you bet. We’ll see how it goes when he comes back. Everyone can see he’s got plenty of pace, but for now until he settles a bit we’ll be looking at two miles and take it from there.”