Hills Takes Cheltenham Test

Black Hills will bid to book his place in the Paddy Power Gold Cup line-up with a good run in tomorrow's Pyments Quantity Surveyors Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

Trainer Jonathan Geake already has one eye on the big handicap prize back at Prestbury Park next month and sees this two-and-a-half-mile contest as the ideal stepping stone.

The eight-year-old has yet to finish outside of the first three over fences and Geake hopes to keep the bandwagon rolling.

'Black Hills is all set to run at Cheltenham. He is quite an easy horse to get fit, although he will most likely improve for the run. I am very pleased with him though,' he said.

'Of course, he is moving from his novice year and is up against the big boys now.

'We will see how he gets on ? he's rated 138 and these are the types of races he needs to run in now.

'I think his best run all last year was when he got beat in the novice handicap chase at Cheltenham ? he just got beat on the line.

'Once or twice he bumped into some very well-handicapped opponents and took the brunt of it.

'The obvious target would be the Paddy Power Gold Cup at The Open meeting on November 17, although there are also races for him at Aintree and Ascot.

'I would be very hopeful of a good run on Saturday. He is only eight and I hope he can continue improving ? this season he could be quite exciting.'

(C) PA Sport