Edwardstone cross-channel favourite for Cheltenham

Edwardstone, one of the cross-channel favourites for the upcoming Cheltenham festival, has been labeled "very special" by connections.

The Alan King trained star is a general 2-1 market leader for the Arkle on day one of the festival after a foot-perfect season to date over fences.

A former useful handicap hurdler, Edwardstone has looked a different proposition over the bigger obstacles and is among a select group of home favourites in the Cheltenham betting.

“He’s very special. I haven’t had one as good as him for a long time,” admitted King who has twice before won the Arkle, with My Way De Solzen and Voy Por Ustedes.

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“It took us a couple of years to get where we are now where he relaxes well and you can sit him just off the pace.

“He was probably running a lot better in those top handicap hurdles than it appeared as he was coming from right out the back to finish fourth or fifth, making up a lot of ground. Now we can ride just behind which should make life a lot easier.

“The Irish will be tough to hold but we’ll see if we can do a wee bit of damage” he added.

In other news, the 2020 Epsom Derby winner Serpentine has been exported to race in Australia, reportedly as a gelding.

The son of Galileo became Aidan O’Brien’s eighth winner of flat racing’s most famous race when making all the running under Emmet McNamara to spring a 25-1 surprise.

The race was completely behind closed doors, and a month late, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However now Serpentine appears to have another and more bitter distinction to his name as a gelded Derby winner.

A regally bred son of Galileo, Serpentine ran five more times for O’Brien and his Coolmore Stud owners, including when fourth to his stable companion Mogul in the Grand Prix de Paris.

However last year, he was moved to Joseph O’Brien after being bought by top Australian owner, Lloyd Williams.

On Sunday Joseph O’Brien confirmed Serpentine has been in Australia for “a number of months now” and that he believes he is being trained by dual-Melbourne Cup winning trainer Robert Hickmott.

Derby winners have usually been assured of a breeding career after their racing days are over.

However the sliding appeal of the race in commercial bloodstock terms appears to have been bluntly underlined in relation to its 241st winner.