Sam Waley-Cohen faces a wait over his ride on Long Run in France
Sam Waley-Cohen faces an anxious wait to see if he can partner Long Run in the feature race at Autueil on Sunday.
Last Updated: 15/05/14 1:18pm
The amateur rider has been ever-present in the saddle since the nine-year-old joined trainer Nicky Henderson five years ago, guiding him to glory in the 2011 Cheltenham Gold Cup and successive renewals of the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Long Run ran an excellent race in defeat when third in the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of April and connections are keen to see him return to his homeland for the first time since winning a Grade One chase at Auteuil as four-year-old in 2009.
However, with a double-figure field likely, there is a chance the Grade One contest could be covered by the popular 'tierce' bet and French rules do not allow amateurs to ride in such races.
Owner Robert Waley-Cohen said: "We're waiting to find out whether it will become a tierce race. If it does, Sam won't be able to ride and we'll have to decide whether to run or not."
"It will be disappointing if that is the case as Sam has won four Grade Ones on the horse.
"He's the only horse to have won a Grade One hurdle as a three-year-old and a Grade One chase as a four-year-old, so I think the French people would like to see him in action again, as would his breeder, who would be eligible for a bonus if he won.
"The horse is in great form, so we'll see what happens."