Gingembre to stake claim

RACING: Gingembre looks certain to run a big race in the Pillar Property Chase at Cheltenham today as he bids to stake his claim for bigger honours back at the famous Cotswolds course in March.

The Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup is his aim and the rock-solid form of Lavinia Taylor's gelding entitles him to be thereabouts in the blue riband.

Gingembre has had his share of training problems but his record includes a Scottish Grand National win and two runner-up finishes in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup.

He is in fact likely to be awarded this year's Hennessy due to the imminent disqualification of winner Be My Royal, but that has not been confirmed yet so he actually gets in here without a penalty, receiving handy amounts of weight from all his rivals.

He had over a year off after his Scottish success and ran a blinder to finish a close third to Marlborough and Hussard Collonges in the Charlie Hall at Wetherby in November, surviving a terrible mistake at the second which cost him plenty of ground.

Connections would have preferred to get another gallop into him and also quicker ground but there is still likely to be more improvement in him and his stamina will certainly come into play up the hill.

It really is a tremendous card at Cheltenham and the Ladbroke Trophy Handicap Chase looks an incredibly difficult affair for punters to solve. But it may just pay to side with the progressive Poliantas.

He has come on leaps and bounds this season, running a cracker here when second to Cyfor Malta in the Thomas Pink Gold in November before landing a valuable intermediate event at Wincanton. He ran only last weekend when second to Edredon Bleu in the John Bull back at Wincanton, running well for a long way before being eased when it became obvious he was facing a losing battle.

Saintsaire looked a horse with limitless potential when hacking up at Newbury on his debut for Nicky Henderson and he can strengthen his position at the head of the market for the JCB Triumph Hurdle with victory in the Wragge & Co Finesse Juvenile Novices' Hurdle.