Smart prospect Maximilian could go to Cheltenham, with options limited

Maximilian will be handed an entry for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham on December 10, as Donald McCain battles with a lack of options in his quest to get the unbeaten six-year-old further hurdling experience.

The Owners Group charge caught the eye when winning a pair of bumpers in the spring and has only added to his growing reputation since switching to hurdles.

Classy enough to score over two and a half miles at Carlisle on his hurdling bow, he made a real statement when downing a useful cast by nine and a half lengths when stepping up to just shy of three miles at Bangor earlier this month.

That highlighted Maximilian as a potentially smart performer and the Bankhouse handler has highlighted Doncaster’s Albert Bartlett River Don Novices’ Hurdle (January 28) and Haydock’s Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle (February 18) as potential races for the new year.

However, keen to get another run into the son of Adlerflug, and with options at the distance thin on the ground, he may be forced to venture to Prestbury Park sooner than ideal.

“He’ll have an entry in the Albert Bartlett race at the next Cheltenham,” said McCain.

“I don’t really want to go to Cheltenham because it’s not really my thing to go there at this point. But staying novice hurdles are like hen’s teeth with a double penalty and we are very short of options.

“In the new year you’ve got the River Don and the Haydock Park race, but I would like to run him once more before we go to one of those and that looks one of very few options.”

He continued: “It’s just tough trying to find somewhere to go really. He’s fit and well and we want to get some more experience in.

“But I didn’t realise how few options there were, and they are very few. We’ll just have to get our head down and find somewhere to go and if I want to go somewhere in the next few weeks Cheltenham looks to be the only option.”