Garden on course for Ascot

Northern raider poised for another Berkshire trip

By Ben Linfoot   Last updated: 5th January 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

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Monet's Garden

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Monet's Garden is back from a holiday and working towards running in the Grade One Ascot Chase on Saturday February 14.

Nicky Richards' 11-year-old grey was seventh on his seasonal reappearance at Aintree but bounced back from that mediocre effort with a gutsy victory over Snoopy Loopy in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

His next target at Ascot is a race he won in 2007 and was second in last year behind three-time King George winner Kauto Star.

Richards reports his charge to be in good shape ahead of the race. He told sportinglife.com: "He's in good form.

"We gave him a little holiday for 10 days or so and we're just moving him forward now steadily and he'll go to Ascot next."

Looking further ahead, Richards intends to give his stable star just the one entry at the Cheltenham Festival - the Ryanair Chase over 2m5f, a race in which he was fourth when 7-4 favourite last year.

"The Ryanair will be his only entry, I'm sure," Richards continued. "I'll have a quick word with David (Yates - owner) but I'm sure that will be his only target.

"We'll take it one stage at a time but hopefully Ascot will go well and then he may go to Cheltenham."