KNIGHT KEEN TO RUN MATE

Henrietta Knight is eager to get another race into Best Mate before the six-year-old tackles the Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy at the rearranged Cheltenham Festival on April 17th.

Best Mate missed an intended engagement when tomorrow`s card at Huntingdon was called off due to waterlogging but his trainer is 'not keen' to run the gelding at Aintree, which is due to be staged 10 days before the Festival.

'It`s difficult making plans at the moment,' she said today.

'With Cheltenham put back until next month I would like to get another race into him before then but I wouldn`t be keen on running him at Aintree - that is my personal view.

'Dropping back to two miles on a sharp track like Liverpool might not suit him whereas two miles at Cheltenham up that hill would be more like two miles one - the same would apply to Sandown.

'It depends what else there is for him. There may be a race for him at Huntingdon on Monday.

'I`ll be looking at all two and two-and-a-half-mile novice chases for him.'

However, Miss Knight could run her smart chaser Lord Noelie at Aintree because 'he likes to go left-handed'.

Meanwhile Newcastle called off another meeting due to the foot and mouth outbreak today.

Its Flat fixture next Tuesday has suffered the same fate as the track`s last two scheduled jumps cards.

A course spokeswoman said: 'We still fall within an exclusion zone so our meeting has been abandoned.'