Edwards on Warwick weather watch for L’Homme Presse

Part-owner Andy Edwards is hoping Saturday’s meeting at Warwick goes ahead to give L’Homme Presse the opportunity to line up in the William Hill Half A Mill Classic Handicap Chase.

The Venetia Williams-trained 11-year-old has won eight times over fences, a record which includes a Cheltenham Festival success in the 2022 Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and victory in the Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham 12 months ago.

He made a promising return from his latest injury setback when filling the runner-up spot in a competitive Cheltenham handicap last month and while he will have to carry top-weight of 12 stone in this weekend’s Warwick feature, Edwards – who owns the horse under the DFA Racing banner in partnership with Pam Edwards and Peter and Pat Pink – is anticipating another bold showing from his pride and joy.

He said: “If it goes ahead we’re very much hoping to run on Saturday. Obviously if it is on you don’t know what the ground is going to be like until you get there, but the plan has been to go to this after his last race.

“He came out of the Cheltenham race very well and has been very good since. That was a tough race but he wasn’t blowing too hard and he’s very fresh, like a lot of them at the moment because with the weather they’ve not been able to get out in the field and do the normal things.

“I saw him yesterday (Tuesday) up the gallops, he has a nice shine on his coat and is absolutely spot-on.”

L’Homme Presse has been entered for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a race in which he finished a creditable fourth two years ago, while a tilt at the Grand National has also been mooted.

“There’s no specific plans, but he will be entered in everything because there aren’t many options for this level of horse,” Edwards continued.

“We’ve entered in the Gold Cup because if Warwick isn’t on and something happens with Cheltenham and the Cotswold Chase at the end of the month, all of a sudden you haven’t got any races he can run in. It’s not that he’s definitely going to the Gold Cup, but if we’re not in it you don’t have the option.

“He’ll have an entry in the Grand National and we’ll see after this race whether that’s realistic or not. We can plan after Warwick or if Warwick is not on then after the Cotswold Chase, which is the next option.

“Venetia has said already it’s very much one race at a time and we just want to enjoy him. He’s just turned 11, he’s been a magnificent horse and he still is magnificent to us.”