White Noise poised to make Wetherby return

Kim Bailey reported Cheltenham Festival winner White Noise ready to do herself justice if taking up her engagement in the Listed bet365 Montagu Mares at Wetherby on Saturday.

The Andoversford stable have a runner on the opening day of the meeting on Friday, which will go some way to telling connections whether underfoot conditions will be suitable for the six-year-old.

“She will run on Saturday if the ground is OK and while any rain would be helpful we have a runner there on Friday and it really depends on how that one (Step Ahead) handles the ground,” said Bailey, who shares the licence with Mat Nicholls.

“She is in good form and worked very well last week – Tom (Bellamy) rode her work – and we are very happy with her. She won first time out last season and while the original plan was to go to Ascot, that is good to firm so it was a second call to go to Wetherby.”

White Noise sprung something of a shock in the Grade Two Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle in March, landing dismissive odds of 40-1 in running out a length-and-a-quarter winner from Oldschool Outlaw over two miles and one furlong.

She went on to finish second in a Listed contest at Haydock on her final start of the season behind Fergal O’Brien’s Dream Ahead over a longer trip of two miles five furlongs, but Bailey is marking up that form.

“I think you will find the Haydock form will work out well,” he said. “The track is very different to Cheltenham and is a tight track in comparison and I think you will find that to be a good run.”