Doctor to swerve Festival

Useful novice chaser Doctor David is set to skip the Cheltenham Festival in March in favour of a run at Aintree the following month, according to his trainer Caroline Bailey.

The grey had been touted for the Arkle but will instead be targeted at the Grand National meeting in April for a possible crack at the Maghull Novices Chase.

"His target is Aintree," Bailey told sportinglife.com. "We feel that the course at Cheltenham wouldn't particularly suit his style of running, and mentally he can be a bit tricky so I think that he might not quite be ready yet for the festival at this stage in his career."

The six-year-old is reported to be fit and well after his recent success at Haydock just before Christmas; a race in which he defeated the useful Kalahari King.

Of that victory, Bailey said: "We were delighted. He jumped really well and he gave as much as we could have asked."

Good order

Since then the horse was due to run at Kempton last weekend, only for their jumps fixture to become one of the many victims of the recent cold snap. Nevertheless, he has been doing nicely at home and is now being prepared for his next outing at the end of the month.

"He's absolutely fine, he missed his run at Kempton last weekend so he has missed what was going to be his next run but he is in good order.

"He's getting an entry in the William Hill Handicap Chase over two miles at Doncaster which is on January 31, and there is also a novices race at Warwick the following week so it'll be either-or of those engagements."

Wherever he goes, Bailey is confident any significant change in current ground conditions won't harm her charge's prospects.

"I think he'll go on good ground as well as soft. He handles the soft ground better than others. But I think he would also be as good on good ground and he is just an improving young horse. He has taken time to get it together but now he is settling in his races, he is getting the trip much better."