Madison tops Kempton weights

Former Hennessy Gold Cup winner Madison Du Berlais has been handed top weight of 11st 12lb for the Racing Post Chase on February 27.

Pipe gelding to give weight all round in Racing Post Chase

Former Hennessy Gold Cup winner Madison Du Berlais has been handed top weight of 11st 12lb for the Racing Post Chase on February 27. David Pipe's charge defeated Denman over the course and distance at Kempton last season and also won at Aintree in the spring. He has shown little in three starts this season but must give weight all round with The Tother One and last year's winner Nacarat next on the list in receipt of 4lb. Philip Hobbs' veteran Monkerhostin (11st 6lb), Charlie Mann's Grade One winner Air Force One (11st 3lb) and Henry Daly's Possol (11st 1lb) are others towards the head of the weights. Charlie Longsdon could run his Grand National contender Palypso De Creek (10st 3lb). The Chipping Norton trainer is eyeing either the Kempton event or the totesport Eider Chase at Newcastle on Saturday week. "He's going to be entered in the Eider as well the same day as the Racing Post Chase. In that race they might run him off his feet on a flat track over three miles," said Longsdon. "We will also look at the Kim Muir and the William Hill at Cheltenham. I'm not sure yet where we will go with him. "The primary target is Aintree so I don't want to do all three. He will do one race in February or Cheltenham and then Aintree."