Sunday 9 October 2016 12:56, UK
Seeyouatmidnight and Bristol De Mai could be set for an intriguing clash in the Colin Parker Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on October 30.
Berwickshire trainer Sandy Thomson has earmarked the two-and-a-half-mile contest as a possible starting point for Seeyouatmidnight before a potential tilt at the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.
The eight-year-old suffered defeat on his chasing debut in Cumbria last season, but went on to win his next three starts, including a Grade Two at Cheltenham.
He was unable to make an impact in the RSA Chase at the Festival, but rounded off his campaign with an excellent effort when third in the Scottish Grand National.
Thomson said: "I think the Colin Parker, ground permitting, is where we will start off.
"It would be nice to think he would run well enough if he goes to Carlisle to then go for the Hennessy.
"If not, he will go for the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.
"The weather has been a lot kinder to us this year and we have certainly got a lot more work into him and he is further forward than when he went to Carlisle last year.
"We took him down to Newcastle the other day just for a lob round and a change of scenery.
"He will probably get an entry in the Grand National as it would be a shame if it came up soft and he wasn't in, but he is unlikely to run in it.
"The Cheltenham Gold Cup never seems to be run on soft ground nowadays and again it would not be the main thing on the agenda.
"The focus of his season will be November, December and January when the ground is likely to be soft.
"Hopefully he can win a decent prize then and anything else will be a bonus."
Bristol De Mai won four times over fences last season for Nigel Twiston-Davies, scooping Grade One glory in the Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown along the way.
He was runner-up to Black Hercules in the JLT Novices' Chase at Prestbury Park in March before being beaten into second again at Ayr.
"He's going to Carlisle at the end of the month," said Twiston-Davies.
"Then we might go the Betfair (Chase, Haydock) route because he's very classy and that step up in trip will hopefully improve him again.
"Now he's settling more, the longer the better."
