Waiting Patiently waiting for BHA’s resumption decision

RUTH JEFFERSON’S defending champion Waiting Patiently heads a nine-strong field for this Saturday’s Grade One Betfair Ascot Chase.

However, plans hinge on the outcome of a British Horseracing Authority meeting that was being held late last night over the equine flu outbreak that has shut down racing.

Veterinary experts were waiting to receive the latest test results before determining if racing can resume tomorrow – or whether the six-day shutdown needs to be extended.

Waiting Patiently landed the Ascot Chase last year after an epic battle with the now retired Cue Card.

Trained at Malton by Jefferson, and ridden by Brian Hughes, the horse then lost his unbeaten record over fences when being effectively brought down in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Paul Nicholls has two contenders in Cyrname, a wide-margin handicap winner at Ascot last time, and King George fourth Politologue.

However, the resurgent Nicholls says Dynamite Dollars, winner of the Grade Two Lightning Novices Chase at Doncaster last month, will miss the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival.

The win on Town Moor was a third high-profile success this season for the horse who had struck up an effective partnership with young jockey Harry Cobden.

“Unfortunately Dynamite Dollars has had a minor setback in training,” said Nicholls. “He has taken to fences so well that we had high hopes of him in the Arkle. It is something that happens when you have a big team of horses, and hopefully Dynamite Dollars will be back next season.”

Amy Murphy would not hesitate to run her leading Arkle contender Kalashnikov in the Kingmaker Novices’ Chase – provided it is restaged within the next 10 days.

The Grade Two prize was due to be run at Warwick on Saturday, but was one of numerous events cancelled due to the equine flu shutdown.

However, Kalashnikov, the mount of Jack Quinlan, lost nothing in defeat to the aforementioned Dynamite Dollars at Kempton over Christmas.

Newmarket-based Murphy said: “If the Kingmaker was run in the next 10 days I would definitely be running him in it.

“I would love to get another race into him for some more experience, but we will work with whatever we are dealt with.”