Marsh Chase the sole Festival target for Chatham Street Lad

Chatham Street Lad has the Marsh Novices’ Chase as his Cheltenham objective after the Caspian Caviar

Gold Cup winner was taken out of his four other Festival engagements yesterday.

Trainer Michael Winters has removed the nine-year-old from the Sporting Life Arkle Trophy, the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair to concentrate on the Grade One novice chase over 2½ miles.

Winters is bringing Chatham Street Lad back to his peak after giving him a break after a defeat at Fairyhouse last month. “That’s the race the owners want to run in,” the Cork trainer said. “He’d had quite a bit of racing and he slightly disappointed the last day, so we thought we’d freshen him up for Cheltenham. He has a good chance. We’d like to see plenty of rain.”

Sporting John could be one of Chatham Street Lad’s rivals, after trainer Philip Hobbs said going would determine which race the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase winner would be aimed at. Hobbs took Sporting John out of the Arkle, but has left the JP Mcmanus-owned sixyear-old in the Marsh and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase over three miles. “If the ground was very soft you would stick to 2½ in the Marsh, but if it wasn’t you would probably look at going further,” Hobbs said.

“It was pleasing to see him warm to the task at Sandown, as it shows he is going in the right direction.”