Wendigo given Ayr option next week

Wendigo is poised for an outing at Ayr to garner further chasing experience before the Cheltenham Festival.

Jamie Snowden is keen to take a shot at the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Prestbury Park having already secured Grade Two honours at Newbury before finishing third in Grade One company at Kempton on Boxing Day.

With the form of both those races boosted at Windsor recently, the Lambourn handler is confident Wendigo will benefit for a return to racing left-handed and he sees a trip north of the border as the perfect spot to continue the seven-year-old’s education before a return to the top table.

Snowden said: “He’s one of the best three-mile novice chasers this side of the Irish Sea I would say and he was ahead of Salver at Kempton and he has come out and franked the form in a Grade Two at Windsor.

“Kempton, a tight, sharp, right-handed track, didn’t suit us and we know he’s better on softer ground and we also know he’s better left-handed.

“You would like to think he would go to Cheltenham for the Brown Advisory with a great chance, but he’s very well and he’s a possibility to run at Ayr next Thursday.

“All of the graded novice chases between now and Cheltenham are right-handed, but there is an ordinary novice at Ayr (Ayrshire ‘Chasing Excellence’ Novices’ Chase).”

Wendigo is a 14-1 chance with BetVictor for the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase in March.

Snowden added: “He takes his races well and is bucking and kicking and although I was contemplating going straight to Cheltenham, I think he needs another run for a bit more match practice.

“After that we’ll head to the Brown Advisory and as the best English novice there is no reason not to.”