Native River tops five in the frame for Denman Chase

Native River could return to Newbury, the scene of his Hennessy Gold Cup triumph, for the Betfair Denman Chase on Saturday.Colin Tizzard's progressive seven-year-old, who followed up in the Coral Welsh National at Chepstow, is among a select list of five entries for the Grade Two contest after it was reopened.Native River is currently one of several fancied runners from the Tizzard stable for the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup.He might be taken on by Bristol De Mai, who staked a big claim for the blue riband with a convincing success in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock last month.Paul Nicholls believes the small field will play to the strengths of Le Mercurey, who beat Bristol De Mai at Ayr last April but has failed to strike in three starts so far this term."Le Mercurey will run in the Denman Chase. He is always better off in a small field on a flat track. He ran very well at Aintree just before Christmas when he was beaten by Many Clouds," said the Ditcheat trainer."Sean (Bowen) thought if we had taken him (Many Clouds) on, he would have finished a lot closer to him."Jonjo O'Neill's More Of That and O Maonlai from Tom George's yard complete the quintet.