Edwardstone seeking to serve it up to Conti rivals

Edwardstone will be out to roll back the years when he heads to Kempton Park for the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase on Saturday.

Alan King’s 12-year-old is the elder statesman of a select four-strong field, but arrives at the Sunbury track in rude health having chased home Djelo in the Peterborough Chase and now continues plying his trade over the intermediate distance.

King said: “The old boy seems to still be in very good form and I was very pleased when we stepped him up to two and a half miles in the Peterborough. I thought that was a solid run and I’m very happy with him.

“He’s not quite as quick as he used to be, but that is why we’ve stepped him up in trip and it’s a tight heat where you could fancy any of the four in the race, but we’re hopeful he will run well.”

Dan Skelton’s Boombawn was a fair way behind Edwardstone when fourth at Huntingdon, but is handler is keen to roll the dice again in Grade Two company at a course he has a fine record, winning twice and finishing second in the Pendil Novices’ Chase on the other occasion.

The Ladbrokes ambassador said: “Boombawn runs in a tough race and there are only four runners, but they are all good horses.

“We were a bit underwhelming last time out, but things have become hard for him because he’s climbed up the handicap.

“He has just done so well for us and the handicapper has got him quite high, but we are trying this conditions race as it’s a smaller field, and he has won around the track before.

“We are looking forward to getting out there and competing with him because he loves that. It remains to be seen if he can win a conditions race, though.”

Paul Nicholls has won this with Frodon (2020), Master Tommytucker (2021) and Pic d’Orhy (2023) in the last 10 years and saddles the likely favourite in the race, Kalif Du Berlais.

Their was plenty of excitement surrounding the six-year-old at the beginning of the campaign having impressed when scooping Grade One honours at Aintree last spring, but he will now be hoping to serve a reminder of his star potential having underwhelmed at Exeter on his return in the Haldon Gold Cup.

The line-up is completed by Nigel and Willy Twiston-Davies’ Master Chewy who was last seen finishing seventh at Kempton in the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.