ENCORE IS PLANNED FOR ASCOT

PAGES OF FANTASTIC START WITH HORSE RACING Ayr added to Friday fixtures

REGAL ENCORE attempts to repeat last year’s success in the Lavazza Jolie Silver Cup Handicap Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

The nine-year-old defied his odds of 66-1 when third in this month’s Ladbrokes Trophy behind Total Recall and his trainer, Anthony Honeyball, will aim for the Ascot race over three miles prior to a run in the Grand National.

“Obviously, that was a great run at Newbury,” said his trainer Anthony Honeyball. “He ran a stormer and the handicapper has not put him up for that, so we’ll try and repeat last year’s success on Saturday.

“The National will again be his target. He ran a cracker in last season’s race when eighth, beaten 29 lengths.”

Honeyball is currently enjoying his best season with 34 winners since he started training at Potwell Farm in Dorset in 2006, after riding 45 winners while attached to Paul Nicholls’s stable. “I don’t want ® to just lay Regal Encore out for the National and then find at the end of the season we’ve suffered some bad luck at Aintree and not won any races with him,” said Honeyball, who landed a double at Plumpton yesterday.

“He’s rising 10 and the handicapper has cut us a bit of slack, as he’s not won since his victory at Ascot last year.”

Legendary

Regal Encore is very much a compliment to Honeyball’s training ability as he runs in the silks of legendary gambler JP McManus who also has Pure Vision, a winner over fences at Ffos Las last month, with the trainer.

“Regal Encore has been such a star for the yard for several seasons and now we’ve got some smart horses behind us to enable us to put the foot down,” said Honeyball.

“The thing is to keep them healthy and now I’m hoping we can win some decent races and get our profile noticed.” ®