Marie’s Rock returns to Kempton for Lanzarote assignment

Marie’s Rock is on course to return to Kempton for the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle on Saturday following her win there on Boxing Day.

The seven-year-old mare, trained by Nicky Henderson, is among 31 entries for the £100,000 contest over the same two miles and five furlongs.

It was her first win for almost exactly two years, although she had been limited to a handful of appearances after enduring several training problems.

“After she won on Boxing Day over course and distance, this was the obvious next race for her,” said Tom Palin, of owners Middleham Park Racing.

“She’s always threatened to put up that kind of performance over the last couple of years, ever since her novice days when she was ante-post favourite for the mares’ novice at the Cheltenham Festival but a few things have gone against her.

“She is firmly back on the straight and narrow now and the wheels are back on. It’s a £100,000 race and it will be interesting to see what opposition turns up.

“There will be a mares’ hurdle entry going in at Cheltenham. Hopefully, we can get through the Lanzarote and that is where we’d probably go subsequently.”

Henderson also has Burrows Edge, Monte Cristo, Call Me Lord and Fils d’Oudairies in the list. Irish trainer Emmet Mullins has two entries in Winter Fog and Rightplacerightime while other interesting hopefuls include Paul Nicholls’ Gelino Bello, the Jamie Snowden-trained Up For Parol, Philip Hobbs’ Earth Lord and Venetia Williams’ Green Book.

Dashel Drasher, who put up an impressive weight-carrying performance over hurdles at Newbury last month, is set to return to fences in the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase.

Jeremy Scott’s stable star is among seven entries for this Grade Two contest over an extended two and a half miles. He is likely to take in this race before bidding for back-to-back victories in the Betfair Ascot Chase next month.

The Nicholls stable are two-handed with Rouge Vif and Master Tommytucker with the Hobbs-trained Defi Du Seuil, Colin Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen, the Nicky Henderson-trained Mister Fisher and Williams’ Fanion D’Estruval making up the septet.