GEORGE’S BOY IS FIGHTING FIT

★ RISING star Summerville Boy is on track for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle next Saturday.

★ Trainer Tom George (right) said the six-year-old just needs “a bit of rain” to take his place in what could be a stellar line-up for the Grade One race.

★ Dual Champion Hurdler Buveur D’Air and Gordon Elliott’s Samcro are also pencilled in for the Fighting Fifth – and the addition of Summerville Boy will add another dimension to the great old race.

★ Summerville Boy has not run since winning the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

★ After saddling Activial to win the Betfair Graduation Chase at Haydock Park yesterday, George said:

“We are hoping to go to Newcastle with Summerville Boy. We just need a bit of rain but he is in good form.”

★ The trainer also revealed his Grade One winning hurdler Black Op is set for his chasing debut.

★ He said: “There is a race here at Haydock and one at Exeter within the next 10 days so we’ll take Black Op to one of those.”

★ Meanwhile, former Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton copped a decent payday when his horse Grand Sancy bounded to victory in the Listed Newton Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock.

★ The four-year-old took dead aim at long-time leader Cause Toujours on the run-in and nailed him in the final strides to take the £14,000 pot.

★ Trainer Paul Nicholls said: “He is a good fun horse. That’s his third win in his last four runs and he is really maturing.”