Warwick preview: Iwilldoit carries Classic confidence

Stan Sheppard insists it would be great if he could secure trainer Sam Thomas another big race winner aboard Iwilldoit, who he believes could "take some stopping" on his return at Warwick in the Wigley Group Classic Chase on Saturday.

After partnering Iwiildoit to victory when last sighted in the Coral Welsh National over a year ago, Sheppard will bid to secure a hat-trick of wins aboard the 10-year-old when facing 13 rivals in the big feature.

Since Iwilldoit last appeared on the track 383 days ago, Sheppard has gone on to record a personal-best tally of 47 winners last season and Thomas survived a helicopter crash together with leading owner Dai Walters back in November.

Given the circumstances, Ledbury-based Sheppard believes victory aboard Iwiildoit would mean a great deal personally while holding confidence that his mount his plenty in his favour on his anticipated comeback.

Sheppard said: “To win this for Sam would be great given everything that has gone on in his life over the last few months.

“Stolen Silver hit the cross bar for him at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and hopefully we can go one better and give him another big-race winner.

“I’ve not sat him in the run up to the race. I leave it to Sam and his team with what they do with him at home but everything I’ve heard has been good and positive.

“He has had 383 days off the track but I believe Sam will get him there in the best order he can. We go there with a lively chance I would like to think.

“Three miles five around a galloping track should suit him. There is nothing in there where you think 'crikey that might take a bit of stopping' and, if anything, it could be that he could be the one to take some stopping.”

Reflecting on that Welsh National triumph, the 25-year-old rider added: “It was a very good day and worth getting down to 10st 4lbs for, which I hadn’t done for a long time.

"To win the race for a Welsh trainer was great it was just a shame nobody was there to watch it, but it made no difference to me once I was over the last.

"He won at the track prior to that on his first run of the season so we know he goes well fresh and the two times I’ve ridden him he has done nothing wrong.

"In races like this you need a lot of luck to go your way as more things can go right than wrong.

"I had quite a good season last term but I really felt that victory got the ball rolling. It was a massive result and definitely the biggest winner of my career but hopefully more like it will come my way.”

Sheppard could already have bagged the third Grade Two success of his career ahead of the Classic Chase as he links up with recent course and distance winner Ginny’s Destiny in the Grade Two Ballymore Leamington Novices’ Hurdle.

Beaten on his return to action at Aintree in October, Tom Lacey's seven-year-old left that effort behind when scoring by eight and a half lengths over course and distance here on his latest start.

Sheppard said: “He is top-rated in the race and if the handicapper has it right then he should win. One or two in there have a bit more experience than he does but he has come on a lot mentally since his first start at Aintree this season.

"He did more wrong than right that day but then he put it all together at Warwick last time. He travelled really well and though he had a good look when he got to the final hurdle he won smartly. We thought he would definitely be better than Aintree.

"I schooled him two days before he ran at Warwick last time and he was much more settled at home. He seems to have grown up a lot and Aintree just took the edge of him.

"It is definitely not a negative having that course form behind him as we know that he handles the track. The ground might be a bit softer than when he won there before but that shouldn’t be a problem either.”

Despite it only being Ginny’s Destiny third start over hurdles, Sheppard is confident he is ready to tackle such a test this early on in his career.

He added: “I think this is the right route to go down as opposed to trying to win another novice with a penalty as not many achieve that. He was entered in the Challow Hurdle at Newbury but Tom decided to take him out.

“This is probably a more open race but Tom has won it before with Adrimel so he knows what is needed to win it.”

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