All systems go for Myretown’s Newbury mission

Connections of Myretown are counting down the days until his planned return to action in the Coral Gold Cup.

The eight-year-old made giant strides over fences last season, winning three of his five starts and rounding off his campaign with a brilliant victory in the Ultima Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

Lucinda Russell and her new training partner Michael Scudamore have been aiming Myretown at Newbury’s prestigious handicap on November 29 and while his participation is ground dependent, his preparation is reportedly going according to plan.

Scudamore said: “He’s in great shape and we’re really looking forward to Newbury, we just hope the ground is OK down there.

“He’s in great form and he has been away and had a couple of gallops and schooled round Ayr the other day. He was very, very good and we couldn’t be happier with him so it’s full steam ahead.”

Myretown has also been entered for the Betfair Chase at Haydock the weekend prior, but Scudamore insists that Grade One contest is very much a back-up option.

“If the ground was good or quicker there’s no way we’d run him on that, so it just made sense to have Plan B,” he added.

“That’s what it (Betfair Chase) is, in case Newbury was looking very dry.

“It’s hard making plans at the moment as you don’t know what’s going to happen, but we’ve still got a bit of time so hopefully the taps will turn on at Newbury and the ground will be nice down there.”