Sixmilebridge looking to continue on right road at Cheltenham

Always a horse held in high regard, Sixmilebridge takes the next step on the ladder over fences when he lines up for the Santa – “The Visit” “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on Friday.

Fergal O’Brien’s charge remains lightly raced and while his sole start so far over the bigger obstacles was a three-runner affair at Ayr, he was too good for the odds-on Derryhassen Paddy, who was third in the Albert Bartlett at Cheltenham in March.

“He’s in great form and the more rain the better. We are really happy with him and fingers crossed,” said locally-based O’Brien.

“He didn’t jump as well as he can do at Ayr, but got the job done and hopefully we can see a bit more fluency at Cheltenham.

“It was his first run of the season, first run over fences and he didn’t have loads of experience of hurdles.

“It wasn’t as though he’s ran loads and loads over hurdles, and it was a case of getting a run into him and he will have to jump better going forwards.

“I thought the Ayr race was competitive and we got the job done. He’s won around Cheltenham (subsequently disqualified) so hopefully we can go back there and get the job done again.”

Should all go well, O’Brien has a Grade One target in mind, adding: “Hopefully he can go on from this to the Scilly Isles (January 31), that’s what we’d ideally like to do – he won his bumper around Sandown.”

The trainer is double-handed, as he also saddles Tintintin, who does have Cheltenham form but will be an outsider of the four starters and was pulled up first time out over fences.

“At Lingfield, nothing really happened for him at all. We are going back to Cheltenham, where he’s won over hurdles and done well in the Greatwood over hurdles, so he needs to get his season back on track,” said O’Brien.

Completing the quartet are Nicky Henderson’s chasing newcomer Califet En Vol and the Dan Skelton-trained Royal Infantry, who is also new to the larger obstacles and like the Seven Barrows runner was decidedly useful over hurdles.

Day one of Cheltenham’s December meeting gets under way with the British EBF “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle, which sees David Pipe’s Kingston Queen take on the boys after missing a planned Listed assignment against her own sex at Newbury a fortnight ago due to spiking a temperature.

The five-year-old made a big impression on her hurdling debut at Chepstow in early November and that form could hardly have worked out better, with both the runner-up Kripticjim and the third home Modern Man winning since.

Pipe said: “She’s in good form and although she’s never run around Cheltenham, I’d imagine she’ll like it and she’ll like the soft ground.

“We’re looking forward to getting her out again. The Chepstow form has worked out and obviously her bumper form from last season was good.

“We’ll see how she gets on and make further plans after that. In an ideal world we’d still be running in mares races, but this is the way it’s worked out.”

Kingston Queen’s rivals include Joe Tizzard’s Lisbane Park, who made an impressive start to his career under rules at Exeter.

“He’s come out of Exeter really well, I couldn’t be happier with him,” said the Dorset handler.

“It’s a big step up at Cheltenham, but it’s a qualifier and he deserves to go to see where he is.

“I think he’s a smart horse and we’ll find out a bit more where we are on Friday.”

Tizzard is double-handed in the Unibet Middle Distance Veterans’ Chase Series Handicap Chase, with recent course scorer Eldorado Allen joined by his returning stablemate Copperhead, who finished a neck second to Numitor in this race 12 months ago.

Tizzard added: “Eldorado Allen has come out of his win at Cheltenham really well, they’ve jacked him up 5lb but it was expected really as he won nicely.

“I’m looking forward to it, two-mile-five (furlongs) around Cheltenham is around his optimum trip and he seems to run well around there.

“Copperhead had a colic operation last spring so we’ve just been taking it steady.

“He was already qualified for the Sandown final and this is very much a prep run for that. I think he will come on a ton for that and then he will aim for the final at Sandown in January.”