Lee Hoping Almaydan Will Take On Mcgoldrick In skybet.com Castleford Chase

Richard Lee hopes Almaydan will run in the £30,000 skybet.com Castleford Chase (3.05pm), over an extended two miles, at Wetherby on Thursday, December 27, the second day of the West Yorkshire track's Sky Bet Christmas meeting.

Lee was impressed with Almaydan's recent course and distance victory under top weight of 11st 12lb in the Constant Security Services - 'Excellence Awards' Winner 2007 Handicap Chase on December 8, and is looking forward to another good performance from the talented nine-year-old gelding.

Lee said: 'We have entered Almaydan for the skybet.com Castleford Chase on December 27. I was pleased with his last run at Wetherby and the horse is great.

'We have no concerns about the ground, as he goes on absolutely everything and hopefully Tom Greenall, who won on him last time, will ride Almaydan again.'

Mister McGoldrick, who has won eight of his nine starts at Wetherby, is likely to face Almaydan in the skybet.com Castleford Chase.

Although Lee thinks that the Sue Smith-trained chaser will be difficult to beat at his favourite course, the Herefordshire-based trainer hopes that Almaydan will run a big race against such tough opposition.

He continued: 'It looks like we might come up against Mister McGoldrick, who is a very hard horse to beat at Wetherby. He beat our horse Borora there by six lengths in the Listed bet365.com Handicap Chase on November 2, but Almaydan is probably a better horse than Borora, so it could be closer this time.'

The Grade Three skybet.com Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase, the highlight on the first day of the Sky Bet Christmas Meeting, Boxing Day, Wednesday, December 26, has attracted 21 entries at today's five-day entry stage. The entries are headed by the 2006 Hennessy Gold Cup victor State Of Play, who finished runner-up on his seasonal reappearance over the course and distance in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase on November 3. Last year's winner Leading Man is being aimed at the contest once again while champion trainer Paul Nicholls has two to choose from in recent Sandown scorer Turko and Cerium. County Durham trainer Howard Johnson has the promising Hard Act To Follow and Royal Rosa engaged, while Saltburn handler Keith Reveley has made an entry for Rambling Minster, successful last time out in the Borders National at Kelso. Malton handler John Quinn has the consistent Aleron engaged while there are three possible challengers from the Somerset yard of David Pipe - Madison du Berlais, fourth behind Denman in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury last time, Comply Or Die and Vodka Bleu.

James Sanderson, Chief Executive & Clerk of the Course at Wetherby, is not expecting any frost before Boxing Day, but parts of the track may be covered as a precaution.

Sanderson said: 'The ground is currently good to soft, good in places. We are expecting mild weather prior to the Sky Bet Christmas meeting and it looks like we may get a drop of rain on Christmas Eve.'