Halcon Handed Cheltenham Acid Test Connections of Halcon Genelardais aim to find out if their Welsh National winner is up to totesport Gold Cup standard with an outing in the Letherby & Christopher Chase at Cheltenham on January 27.Alan King plans to test the water with the seven-year-old in the recognised blue riband trial after his charge romped home by four lengths at Chepstow last month.That effort saw Halcon Genelardais take his tally to four wins from five runs over fences.He has also been nibbled at in the Gold Cup market in recent days, with Coral now quoting him at 20-1.King said: 'He will run in the old Pillar and that should show us if he is a Gold Cup horse.'If he isn't, we could go for the Midlands National and it would have to be soft if he ran at Cheltenham.'He is one of the most improved horses in the yard, and I was quite hard on him last year in giving him three runs in quick succession.'He is best fresh and doesn't hit so many flat spots.'(C) PA Sport
