Nottingham warm up for Greatwood candidate Hansard

Hansard will tune-up for a tilt at the Unibet Greatwood Handicap Hurdle by running on the Flat at Nottingham on Wednesday.

Owned by Noel Fehily Racing Syndicates, the five-year-old won his first two starts for trainer Gary Moore in taking fashion last term before leaving a disappointment in Kempton’s Dovecote Hurdle behind when a commendable fourth in an Aintree Grade One in the spring.

He now returns on the level over 14 furlongs at Colwick Park with Tom Queally taking the ride in the Racing TV Club Novice Stakes.

It is a contest his handler sees as the perfect spot to clear the lungs ahead of Cheltenham action on November 19 and a race for which he is currently 12-1 with the sponsors.

“He’s a nice horse and it is kind of a prep run before he runs in the Greatwood Hurdle – that’s the plan,” said Moore.

“I always think it’s a good thing to sharpen them up on the Flat if you can do. I think it always bodes well and is something I’ve done before and also seen other people do it. He doesn’t have to have a hard race and doesn’t have eight flights of hurdles to jump, so you have less chance of injury and also I think it is a good way forward for the horse.

“Hopefully he is quite a nice horse and one we can look forward to.”