Latalomne on course for Champion Chase

Latalomne has been given a vote of confidence by trainer Brian Ellison ahead of next month`s Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The seven-year-old went into plenty of notebooks when winning in impressive style at Cheltenham in November before finishing a disappointing fifth behind Flagship Uberalles in the Mitsubishi Shogun Tingle Creek Trophy at Sandown.

He was then given a short holiday before returning to work last month and Ellison reports that his charge could not be in better order.

'He is in grand form, it`s just the pressure of getting him ready for the big day that I`ve got to worry about now,' said the Malton trainer.

'You can forget his form at Sandown, it`s just a waste of time running him on soft ground.

'At least it was a learning experience for him. It was just his fifth run over fences and the first time he had met class horses.

'His jumping at home has been brilliant since then and if it comes up fast at Cheltenham you will not be able to keep him out of the first three. He has always had the speed and now his jumping is there as well he is going to be a very, very good horse.'

Stablemate Batswing is likely to go for the Grand Annual Chase at the Festival after losing his unbeaten record over fences at Sedgefield on Tuesday.

'If the race had been over two miles then he would have won,' said Ellison.

'The ground was very soft which didn`t really suit him either and he`ll go for the Grand Annual if he gets in.'