Sceau Royal on course for a third tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase

Alan King has revealed he favours keeping Sceau Royal over fences for a third outing in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but admits he could wait for Aintree if ground conditions are not ideal.

The Barbury Castle Stables trainer expects the nine-year-old to contest the two-mile Grade One prize, in which he finished fifth 12 months ago and third in 2019, on March 17, rather than taking up his other entry at the meeting in the Unibet Champion Hurdle 24 hours earlier.

After falling in the Ladbrokes Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton Park on December 27th, Sceau Royal gained his second Grade Two victory of the season in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury last weekend, having struck at the same level in the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November.

King said: “On the back of his win at Newbury I would think we would be going to the Champion Chase. That all depends on the ground though as if it came up soft we would wait with him and go to Aintree.

“He had been in great form before his little blip in the Desert Orchid and it was so out of character of him as it was the first time he had fallen in a race in his life.

“We didn’t really know what to expect this season but his two hurdle wins highlighted by his win in the Elite was a real bonus.”

An outing in the Grade Three McCoy Construction County Hurdle awaits last year’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle sixth Edwardstone, who finished third on his most recent start in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury.

King said: “I think the plan will be to go for the County Hurdle. It was a terrific run at Newbury as he was giving almost a stone to the winner and he was there with every chance.

“He ran well in the Greatwood earlier in the season where he came from nearly last, but he is much more settled in his races now and you can ride him in the midfield now. It would be nice to see him win one of these large field handicaps.”