Myretown heads for Ultima as handicap entries revealed

Cheltenham handicap entries suggest Myretown is heading back to defend his Ultima crown after Grand National hopes stalled at Haydock.

The nine-year-old, trained by Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore, was pulled up by Derek Fox in the William Hill Grand National Trial after failing to see out the extended trip. That run did nothing for his rating — or his chances of making the Aintree cut.

Instead, connections look set to return to the Ultima Handicap Chase, which he won by 11 lengths last season.

“Derek got off at Haydock and said he just didn’t stay, and that probably is the case,” said Scudamore.

“With the way the ratings fall I couldn’t see him getting a National run off the back of that.”

“All being well we’ll now head back to Cheltenham for the Ultima instead.”

He added:

“That is the beauty of it I suppose, there was a question mark going into the Haydock race and we knew we’d find out where we needed to be.”

“Now it looks a lot clearer that Cheltenham should be the main aim and all being well, that’s the plan.”

The Wallpark was a notable absentee from the handicap lists. The Gordon Elliott-trained eight-year-old had been prominent in the betting for both the National Hunt Chase and the Kim Muir but does not appear in either.

Paul Nicholls, who won last year’s Jack Richards Novices’ Handicap Chase with Caldwell Potter, could be represented this time by another big-money recruit in Regent’s Stroll.

The County Hurdle has attracted 70 entries, including last year’s runner-up Ndaawi and dual-purpose globetrotter Absurde, one of 11 entries from Willie Mullins.