Choosethenews in line for Eider mission

Choosethenews will step up markedly in trip for the Virgin Bet Eider Chase at Newcastle on Saturday – as long as the forecast rain arrives.

Trainer Mark Walford feels the time is right to test his eight-year-old over the marathon distance of four miles in Gosforth Park’s £80,000 feature.

Ultra-consistent, Choosethenews has only been out of the first three once in his life and Walford believes he has a valid excuse for that rare blip on his penultimate run at Carlisle.

“It’s the plan to run on Saturday but he wouldn’t want the ground to dry up too much, he’d want a bit of cut in the ground,” said the Sheriff Hutton handler.

“Thankfully there is some rain forecast towards the end of the week so I’m very hopeful he’ll be running.

“He’s got a very consistent profile apart from his run at Carlisle the time before last (pulled up), but that came at a time when we had a few horses not running right and I think he just wasn’t well, I’ve not taken any more from it than that.

“I think he’ll stay, all he was doing last time was staying on well towards the end.

“I just think it’s the right time to try him in a good race, especially with the horses running well, so it just makes sense.”