Ben Pauling issues Le Breuil Kempton warning
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Ben Pauling has warned Le Breuil might need the run as he makes his seasonal bow in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Kempton on Monday.
The five-year-old was beaten on his first start last season before going on to strike gold at both Sedgefield and Newbury.
Pauling then decided to sidestep the Cheltenham Festival in favour of a run at Aintree and the trainer admits he now regrets making that call.
He told Racing UK: "He beat Benatar at Newbury just before Cheltenham - it was 12 days to Cheltenham and I didn't think it was probably quite right in rushing to the Neptune.
"In hindsight, I should have because he was absolutely bouncing and by the time Aintree came around, he wasn't 100 per cent and he pulled up, he wasn't right at all.
"He's famous for needing his first run, so beware, but he's a very, very nice horse."
Le Breuil faces six rivals in the two-mile-five-furlong heat, headed by the Kim Bailey-trained The Last Samuri, who finished second in the 2016 Grand National and will be having his first hurdles start since 2014.
Cesarewitch also-ran Who Dares Wins returns to jumps action for Alan King while Bags Groove recently hit the mark at Aintree for Harry Fry.
Nicky Henderson takes the wraps off Whisper in the Weatherbys General Stud Book Online Graduation Chase.
Second to stablemate Might Bite at both Cheltenham and Aintree, he has only Paul Nicholls' Clan Des Obeaux in opposition in the extended two-and-a-half-mile heat.
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