Woodstock Octo set for rise in grade for Woollacott

Kayley Woollacott says Woodstock Octo deserves his shot at Graded company at Cheltenham on Friday and admitted she is trying to keep a lid on her excitement about his potential.

The prospect of faster ground at Prestbury Park may be putting off several other trainers but Woollacott is not one of them with quicker conditions effectively inviting her to pitch her stable star at the Grade Two Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

“I think all being well, as long as the ground stays good he will go for it. If they get a little bit of rain that would be great. We weren’t really intending to look at it but with the dry ground it is probably weaker than it has been in previous years,” she said.

“On ratings he is up there. It looks like something he could tackle as he is well in there on the figures. It looks a sensible step and he has his last piece of work to go but all being well we are gearing up to go.”

Woodstock Octo was bought as a point-to-pointer – a field in which he rattled up a six-timer between November and May last season – but it was his debut under rules when winning a three-mile novice hurdle at the Cheltenham October meeting that elevated hopes.

“He has done nothing wrong and we are trying not to get too excited with him. But he has been a lot of fun already. He was bought as a point-to-pointer and has always done everything nicely but is a polite, unassuming, lovely horse. He is not flash but always does everything well,” said Woollacott.

“He has always stepped up when we need him to and who knows where that limit is. It would be great if he could go a little bit higher.”