Many Clouds (right) pictured on his way to victory in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury© Photo Healy Racing
Oliver Sherwood is hoping his Hennessy Gold Cup winner Many Clouds can take another step forward when he runs in the BetBright Cup Chase at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The Upper Lambourn trainer is keen to get experience of the Prestbury Park course into the eight-year-old ahead of a crack at the Betfred Gold Cup in March.
Many Clouds' only previous run over fences there told Sherwood little as the horse was brought down in the RSA Chase at last year's Festival.
However, Sherwood will have to wait until tomorrow to discover potential opposition as the Grade Two race, formerly known as the Argento Chase, has been re-opened after just eight entries were received.
"I'm very happy with his progress and we haven't missed a day with him," Sherwood told At The Races.
"Cheltenham has always been the first choice. I want him to have a spin round Cheltenham because he got brought down in the RSA and to have some experience of Cheltenham.
"The Irish Hennessy as well as the Denman Chase at Newbury are second and third reserves in case the weather falls foul and we have to have substitutes for that reason.
"Barring the RSA, every chase he has run in he has improved. He's on a career high of 161 and he's got 10lb to 12lb to find to warrant being a serious Gold Cup horse.
"He will have an entry in the Grand National but I've not really discussed it with Mr (Trevor) Hemmings (owner) or Mr (Michael) Meagher (his racing manager).
"Hopefully the Gold Cup is the first target and if something happened in the Gold Cup we've got the National to fall back on.
"Soft ground is quite important, but he wouldn't not handle good ground. If he ran well on Saturday and we went straight to the Gold Cup I'd love the Festival to be on softer ground, but I don't think it's imperative.
"We just know he handles soft ground and I'd like it to be the same."
