Gidleigh Park all set for Pendil mission

Gidleigh Park will step back up in trip at Kempton on Saturday week when he lines up in the Ladbrokes Pendil Novices’ Chase.

Harry Fry’s stable star thrived over an intermediate trip over hurdles last season when announcing himself as an exciting prospect, but it was when tried over the minimum distance at Windsor last month that he opened his account over the larger obstacles.

He ran out a thoroughly impressive winner of the Lightning Novices’ Chase during the Winter Million weekend to erase the memories of his Kempton chasing debut in November when he was pulled-up early into the piece due to a fibrillating heart.

Gidleigh Park has pleased his team since his Windsor success and they are now excited to move back up in distance in search of a second Grade Two prize of the season.

“We’re very happy with Gidleigh Park, he’s in good order and came out of Windsor really well,” said Fry.

“He’s all set to run at Kempton in the Pendil which will be a step up in trip but obviously he won over two and a half over hurdles last year so I don’t see it as an issue whatsoever.

“He surprised us really at Windsor and two miles round there should really have been sharp enough for him, but he relished it. However, the move back up to two-and-a-half shouldn’t pose any issues and we’re looking forward to seeing him out again.”

Currently Gidleigh Park’s sole entry at the Cheltenham Festival is for the Arkle, a race that has cut up somewhat with the recent injury to Sir Gino.

However, Fry is unwilling to look too far into the future given the stunted start to the seven-year-old’s campaign and is, for the time being, solely focussed on another huge afternoon for his talented chasing prospect at the Sunbury track.

“He’s still got the Arkle entry and it is still an option but at the moment we’re just looking at Kempton and then we’ll take it from there,” continued Fry.

“With what happened earlier in the season it’s just a case of one race at a time with him and it was obviously great to see him put up a performance like he did last time at Windsor. We’re now hoping to see him take the next step up the ladder next weekend.”