Simon Faces No Simple Task In Letheby & Christopher Chase

Racing Post Chase hero Simon heads to Cheltenham tomorrow for the £100,000 Grade Two Letheby & Christopher Chase (2.40pm) over an extended three miles and a furlong, with connections hoping that three is indeed the magic number following two smart efforts at Prestbury Park already this season.

The Mercy Rimell-owned nine-year-old ran promisingly on his seasonal bow when fifth to Sir Rembrandt in the Grade Three Servo Computer Services Trophy at The Open on November 17. Simon then finished strongly in the Listed Boylesports.com Cashback Chase over an extended three miles and a furlong on December 14, going down by three quarters of a length to Over The Creek when conceding 17lb to that rival.

Trainer John Spearing revealed this morning: 'Simon is fine and is in good form. I was very pleased with his run at Cheltenham last time as he was giving a lot of weight to the winner, who is a good horse.

'The Letheby & Christopher Chase is a tough race and how he runs could tell us where we go with him in the future. The plan is hopefully to take him to Kempton for the Racing Post Chase again. He's not in the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup, so we'll play it by ear from there.'

Simon announced himself as a classy performer last term with victories in the Listed Sky Bet Chase and the Grade Three Racing Post Chase over three miles, which he won by a convincing 10 lengths.

The Kinnersley handler continued: 'The ground should be fine as he doesn't really mind what it is.'

Simon faces seven rivals in the prestigious Letheby & Christopher Chase, which is one of the leading trials for the totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup at the Festival.

The field is made up of the top-class Grade One King George VI Chase runner-up Our Vic, Grade One Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup winner Neptune Collonges, 2006 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup hero State Of Play, last season's Grade Two Ryanair Chase third Billyvoddan, Paddy Power Gold Cup third Knowhere, Madison Du Berlais and the classy Faasel.

Howard Johnson reports that star hurdler Inglis Drever, twice a winner of the Grade One Ladbrokes World Hurdle at The Festival (2005 & 2007), is on target for a big run in the £60,000 Grade Two Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle (3.50pm) over three miles, despite fears earlier in the week that the nine-year-old's preparation may have been adversely affected by snow in County Durham.

The White Lea Farm trainer revealed today: 'Inglis Drever left early this morning and all is well with him. As long as he comes back safe and sound then I'll be happy. If he's all right after tomorrow then we'll go straight to the Ladbrokes World Hurdle.'

The 10 declarations for the Byrne Group Cleeve Hurdle also include last year's victor Blazing Bailey from Alan King's yard plus one runner from each France and Ireland, respectively Francois Doumen's Millenium Royal and Tom Hogan's Sonnyanjoe.

Johnson will also saddle the unbeaten Marleybow in the £30,000 Grade Two Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle (1.00pm). The five-year-old, from the family of Gaye Brief, Gaye Chance and Simon, won his only hurdles start over two and a half miles at Carlisle on November 4.

The trainer reported: 'Marleybow is in fine form but I feel that he'll make a better chaser. He doesn't make a great shape over a hurdle and he's still a bit novicey. He's from a good family and is a real chasing type - he's going there to keep Inglis Drever company.'

Top-Class Action All Round

There is top-class action all round at Cheltenham tomorrow.

The seven-race card kicks off at 1.00pm with the Grade Two £30,000 Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle over two and a half miles.

Marleybow's 10 opponents include the Nicky Henderson-trained Aigle D'Or. J P McManus' charge was acquired off the Flat in France as a Listed winner and got his jumping career off to a good start with a novice hurdle win at Lingfield Park early this month.

The fourth Grade Two race on the card is the £30,000 Wragge & Co Finesse Juvenile Novices' Hurdle (3.15pm), for which 11 go to post. Alan King, who won this race last year with subsequent JCB Triumph winner Katchit, has declared both Franchoek and Squadron.

The first-named looks the one to beat, having come home a good winner of the Grade One Coral Future Champions Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow last month and also landing the Grade Two Cleanevent Juvenile Novices' Hurdle at The Open in November.

Venetia Williams will be hoping that Something Wells can give her a third success in the £25,000 Timeform Novices' Handicap Chase (1.35pm). The seven-year-old got his season off to a good start, winning a handicap chase at Uttoxeter, before emphatically scoring in a novices´ handicap chase at Taunton. Carrying 10st 12lb, he's getting a stone off top-weight Portland Bill from the stable of Robert Alner.

Paul Nicholls sends New Little Bric out under Ruby Walsh for the £55,000 Grade Three betchronicle.com Trophy Handicap Chase (2.10pm). The Grade One-winning chaser hasn't been seen since mid-December, when he pulled up behind Tamarinbleu in the Boylesports.com Gold Cup.

Nigel Twiston-Davies' Patman Du Charmil, who was second in the Listed TurfTV New Year Chase Handicap, is also among the 12 declared runners, as is Paul Blockley's Model Son, who was third in that Cheltenham contest.

Going Update

Cheltenham Clerk of the Course & Director of Racing, Simon Claisse, said: 'After a dry night and another drying day, the going on both the hurdles and chase courses is good to soft, soft in places, with a Turftrax going stick reading of 7.0. The forecast is for mild and windy weather.'