‘No negatives’, as L’Eau Du Sud gets set for Kingmaker action

L’Eau Du Sud takes the next step in his promising career in the Unibet Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at on Saturday.

The Dan Skelton-trained grey has taken to fences incredibly well in his novice term, winning on debut by 10 lengths and then landing both the Arkle Trial at Cheltenham and the Henry VIII at Sandown.

The Arkle itself at the Festival is the spring target for L’Eau Du Sud, but first he will prepare in the Grade Two Kingmaker.

Nicky Henderson’s Arkle favourite Sir Gino had been due to be in action at Newbury in the Game Spirit, leaving Skelton to target Warwick, although as it has turned out Sir Gino misses his race as he is “sore” following what is hoped is a minor issue with his leg.

Regardless, the small-field Kingmaker not far from Skelton’s base looks very much within reach for L’Eau Du Sud, even with a penalty.

“Our lad is in good form and I haven’t got any negatives going into the race,” said Skelton, speaking before news broke on Sir Gino.

“I did ringfence this race after Sandown as with it being at Warwick, I was mad keen to go there, so it is nice that we can.”

L’Eau Du Sud will wear the yellow silks of his late co-owner John Hales following his death last week.

“He will be wearing John’s colours so it would be a poignant victory if we could get another one next to his name,” Skelton said.

“He is a short price for Saturday and we will go there and give it our best. I’m sure he will be hard to beat.”

Of L’Eau Du Sud’s position as the Arkle third-favourite behind Sir Gino and Majborough, Skelton added: “They are two Grade One-winning juveniles that he will be taking on in the Arkle, and Sir Gino won an open Grade One over hurdles in the Fighting Fifth.

“I think that they have every right to be ahead of us in the betting in the Arkle as they are Grade One-winning hurdlers and we are not.

“We’ve done everything asked of us over fences and we have done it handsomely. I’m quite happy to slip under the radar a little bit and that doesn’t worry me one bit.

“We have got the experience at Cheltenham under our belt, which is a positive, but those two are going to be hard to beat in the Arkle, but let’s get through Saturday first.”

Elsewhere in the Kingmaker there is L’Eau Du Sud’s stablemate Riskintheground alongside the Paul Nicholls-trained Rubaud, who was last seen falling in the Wayward Lad at Kempton, and Nigel Twiston-Davies’ Tedley.