Conditions key to Gidleigh Park reappearance plans

Harry Fry is keen to start Gidleigh Park in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on Friday week, but is prepared to keep options open with his “hugely exciting” second-season chaser.

The seven-year-old currently holds an entry for the Listed Colin Parker Memorial Intermediate Chase at Carlisle on Sunday, which remains a possibility.

Fry is keeping a close eye on the weather ahead of a final decision, with Exeter on November 7 preferred, although a graduation chase back at Carlisle on November 10 could also be in the equation for Gidleigh Park’s return.

Fry said: “We’re keeping our options open and I would love to run him at Exeter in the Haldon Gold Cup, but obviously they lost their first fixture because of quick ground and they raced on good to firm last weekend.

“There’s been rain and there is more rain forecast but I’ve put him in at Carlisle on Sunday because it’s potentially a nice starting point. It also keeps our options open until Friday when we have to decide if we go up there or not.

“It will give us a few more days to look into next week’s weather forecast with the Haldon Gold Cup a week on Friday and there’s also a race at Carlisle on November 10, so there’s a few options and it’s just a case of keeping an eye on weather and ground and trying to figure out where is best to go.”

Gidleigh Park suffered an interrupted campaign last season which limited him to just three starts and saw him bypass the Cheltenham Festival.

However, he was still able to demonstrate his potential when beating Caldwell Potter in the Lightning Novices’ Chase at Windsor, before finding only Impaire Et Passe too good in Grade One company at Aintree and Fry is eager for smoother progress though the season this time around.

He added: “He’s very well in himself and I’m very happy with how he has been training and obviously looking forward to seeing him back out.

“We obviously didn’t get the clearest run at things last year but despite that he was still the winner of a Grade Two and runner-up in a Grade One from only three starts over fences.

“It wasn’t bad going under the circumstances and we’re hoping for a clearer run this season as he looks a hugely exciting second-season chaser.

Fry is also remaining flexible over which distance may prove Gidleigh Park’s optimum this term, feeling he has an operator capable of thriving over varying trips provided he races on his preferred under-foot conditions.

“I’m still open minded about trip and I think it will be more about ground for him really,” continued Fry. “He’s a big horse and he will want ease in the ground.

“I had the option of both two miles and two and a half at Aintree in the spring and given it was a pretty dry spring we opted for two and a half, with it being the opening race of the meeting. If we had waited for the two-mile option, I don’t think we would have run on the ground.

“He’s pretty flexible and he showed at Windsor his ability over two miles and then at Aintree showed he was fine over further against proper Grade One horses.

“Carlisle is two and a half on Sunday, the Haldon Gold Cup is two and a quarter miles and then the graduation chase I mentioned at Carlisle is over two miles, so really I’m still quite open about it.

“It’s a nice position to be in, he’s shown speed, while we know he could stay further and he’s a hugely talented horse.”