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Star Heads Game Hopefuls

Kauto Star heads nine entries for the rescheduled Levy Board Game Spirit Chase at Lingfield on Saturday.

A general 2-1 chance for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, he is set to be ridden once more by Mick Fitzgerald in his final prep run before Cheltenham.

In the absence of the injured Ruby Walsh, Fitzgerald had been booked by Paul Nicholls for the exciting six-year-old at Newbury last weekend, only for the meeting to be abandoned.

'Thankfully for me the rescheduling has worked in my favour and I can manage to throw my leg across this fellow in Ruby's absence,' Fitzgerald told At The Races.

'It's cruel on Ruby that he is laid up at the moment with all these good horses running.

'The one thing I like to do in the lead up to the Festival is to get on these horses and see how they are running as it just gives you an idea as to how their preparation is going and it can help you in the long run.'

Nicholls has also entered Le Volfoni, as well as Lingfield specialist Armaturk.

Martin Pipe, Nicholls' main rival for the trainers' championship, has four possibles, headed by Arkle chase fancies Tamarinbleu and Don't Be Shy. Locksmith and Seebald complete Pipe's quartet.

The field is completed by Fundamentalist and Mister McGoldrick.

? PA Sport

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