3 minute read

Splash Of Ginge could be aimed at the Byrne Group Plate at the Cheltenham Festival following an encouraging performance at the Prestbury Park track on Saturday.

Connections of the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained six-year-old are taking the positives from the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup, despite his fall at the fourth-last fence.

Splash Of Ginge looked to be travelling well, not far behind the winner Niceonefrankie, when coming down in what was only his fourth race over fences, and his first out of novice company.

Merseyside-based owner John Neild said: "It feels like one that got away for us. But of the many positives, he travelled much better than on his last run at Cheltenham and jumped much better.

"Take nothing away from the winner, but we think we could have gone close.

"He put his last run behind and we think he's now back on track. It wasn't a hard fall, a soft one, and he's just crumbled on landing.

"We live to fight another day. He's fine. He carried on and jumped the last three fences.

"We'll have a think about it. My own personal view, without speaking to Nigel about it, is that we'll probably look at something like the Byrne Group Plate and probably have one more run between now and then.

"We're about 12 to 13 weeks from Cheltenham so I guess one run in about six or seven weeks' time and then hopefully go to the Festival.

"Looking at Saturday, his mark is a reasonable one, but I'll leave it to Nigel once the dust has settled."