Big Test For Alner Ace The Listener faces the stiffest examination of his promising career to date in a strong renewal of the Unicoin Homes 'Dipper' Novices? Chase at Cheltenham on Sunday. A seriously impressive winner of both his starts over fences, the Robert Alner-trained grey earned plenty of admiration for his jumping following a 13-length destruction of Lord Killeshanra at Windsor earlier this month. Alner had been thinking about aiming him at the Feltham Chase on Boxing Day, but decided to save him for Prestbury Park in the hope of getting some easier ground. 'He seems in very good form and we?ve had no problems with him - he?s very easy to train,' said the Dorset trainer. 'We debated about running him as the ground was good to firm in places, but I have spoken to the course and they say it will be on the soft side for Sunday, so we will run him. 'It will be interesting to give him him some experience around Cheltenham as it is a bit of a specialist track, but he has done everything right so far.' The Listener faces six decent rivals, including the Paul Nicholls-trained Star De Mohaison, who he beat at Exeter. Although Ferdy Murphy thinks a lot of Leading Man, he does not expect the five-year-old to cause an upset in a such a competitive race. Leading Man was third on his chasing debut but easily despatched Julius Caesar at Wetherby over three miles and a furlong last month. He steps back four furlongs in trip this time and Murphy said: 'He won very well at Wetherby the other day and probably wants further, although his owner would like to get some Cheltenham experience into him. 'He is a very nice horse who travels and jumps well. We are stepping him up in class for experience and I don?t think he will be upsetting anyone here.' Nicholls also runs Huntingdon winner Napolitain, while King Killone and Billyvoddan complete a classy line-up along with Knowhere, who makes his chasing debut having won both his starts over hurdles in 2004. Cheltenham seems to have escaped the worst of the cold weather and clerk of the course Simon Claisse said: 'We are currently good and have had five millimetres of rain today with more forecast today, tomorrow and tomorrow night. 'We haven?t any frost forecast and we kept the course covered up during the week. If the forecast is right, I would expect the ground to be around good to soft.' ? PA Sport
