Marlborough considering options

Britain`s prolonged wet spell has led to increasing uncertainty as to which race Marlborough will have as his warm-up for next month`s Tote Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding, a 14-1 chance with bookmakers Coral in the ante-post betting for the big race, is still to have his first outing of the season.

Having been due to run in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury at the end of last year, he was forced to miss the race when he required urgent surgery for a trapped epiglottis.

Marlborough was next due to run in the Pillar Properties Chase at Cheltenham last month but persistent rain during the day made conditions very testing and after consulting with jockey Mick Fitzgerald, Henderson chose to withdraw Marlborough from the race.

With stablemate Bacchanal an intended runner in the AON Chase at Newbury on Saturday, Henderson had initially indicated that Marlborough might be a more likely runner in the Jim Ford Chase at Wincanton on February 21.

But Barry Simpson, the racing manager of Marlborough`s owner Sir Robert Ogden, said that plans were still up in the air.

'He might just as equally go to Newbury as Wincanton, we wouldn`t discount anything at the moment,' Simpson said.

'I will have a talk to Nicky about it and see what the weather does.

'There is Newbury, Wincanton or the Racing Post Chase at Kempton to consider - Ad Hoc and Kingsmark are possibles for that race too.

'Marlborough is also in the Hennessy in Ireland but I think we might be clutching at straws if we expect anything other than very soft ground there.

'We know he is effective on soft ground but I think we would prefer something better although if it keeps on raining we might have to accept it if we want to get a run into him.'