Trouble makes impressive comeback

Former Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Looks Like Trouble made the perfect comeback from injury with an impressive victory in the Highclere Group Of Companies John Bull Chase at Wincanton today.

Noel Chance`s charge is now a best-priced 7-1 with the Tote while the remainder of the major bookmakers make him 6-1 favourite for this year`s renewal of chasing`s blue riband at Cheltenham in March.

Super-sub jockey Seamus Durack soon had Looks Like Trouble at the head of affairs and the 10-year-old, off the course for 14 months with a tendon problem, jumped exuberantly but, turning for home, Whitenzo moved up menacingly.

But that horse got the third last fence all wrong and paid the penalty with a crashing fall.

The incident left Looks Like Trouble with the prize at his mercy and he passed the post with a distance to spare over the toiling Celibate.

Chance was clearly delighted with the performance and said: 'I`m happy with that but obviously tomorrow will tell us more and, if he`s back in one piece and the leg is fine, that will do.

'He will now go to Newbury for the Aon Chase next month or the Irish Hennessy but Plan A will be the Aon as it is only just down the road for us and we don`t really want to travel to Ireland.

'He put in a good clean round of jumping there and did everything we wanted. Seamus, with the other horse Whitenzo, was going equally as well at the third last fence, but my fellow jumped it and will always come up for you.

'He was having a good old blow there so he`ll improve a good bit on what he`s done today as we`ve only had him back in training since the first of November.

'The way he`s won there, he deserves to be favourite for the Gold Cup.'

On the leg injury which had kept Looks Like Trouble off the course since winning at Down Royal, Chance said: 'He has never given us one minute`s worry since he scanned clear of the injury and has always been 100 per cent.

'He`s never taken a lame step from that day and his legs have been ice cold and, fingers crossed, he will be all right.'

The trainer also confirmed that Richard Johnson, who is on the comeback trail after breaking his leg at Exeter, will be reunited with Looks Like Trouble in the Aon chase.

But he added: 'If something happened to Richard, we wouldn`t hesitate to put Seamus back on the horse.'