Nottingham warm up for Greatwood candidate Hansard

Hansard will tune-up for a tilt at the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle by running on the Flat at Nottingham on Wednesday.

Owned by Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, the five-year-old won his first two starts for trainer Gary Moore in taking fashion last term before leaving a disappointment in Kempton’s Dovecote Hurdle behind when a commendable fourth in an Aintree Grade One in the spring.

It is a contest his handler sees as the perfect spot to clear the lungs ahead of Cheltenham action on November 19 and a race for which he is currently 12-1 with the sponsors.

“He’s a nice horse and it is kind of a prep run before he runs in the Greatwood Hurdle – that’s the plan,” said Moore.

“I always think it’s a good thing to sharpen them up on the Flat if you can do. I think it always bodes well and is something I’ve done before and also seen other people do it. He doesn’t have to have a hard race and doesn’t have eight flights of hurdles to jump, so you have less chance of injury and also I think it is a good way forward for the horse.

“Hopefully he is quite a nice horse and one we can look forward to.”