Norman Mason could run both Red Ark and Red Marauder in tomorrow week`s Tripleprint Gold Cup, it emerged today.
His useful pair were in action in successive races at Newbury last Saturday, winning a two-and-a-mile chase and finishing fifth in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup respectively.
And the owner/trainer`s assistant Richard Guest, who rode both, said: 'At the moment possibly both will go for the Tripleprint as they have come out of their races very well and it is nice to have two strings to our bow.
'I think Red Marauder was stretched by the extended three and a quarter miles at Newbury where the ground was very, very soft and it felt more like three and a half miles. He didn`t quite get home.
'As for Red Ark, he was all out and very tired over two and a half miles on the very soft ground. I am worried about the extra furlong for Red Ark, but he`d have a decent chance on good to soft while good would be ideal.
'Red Marauder, who also has other options the following weekend, loves it soft and he ran well at Cheltenham when finishing fourth in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup.
'He handled Prestbury Park OK and he`s in better shape now as he blew up that day and the two miles, five furlongs would be ideal given soft ground.'
Venetia Williams, whose Nordance Prince finished runner-up to Legal Right last year, intends to run Grand Annual Chase winner Samakaan, who has not raced since last May.
The trainer said today: 'Samakaan will run in the Tripleprint and the going doesn`t really matter.'
Or Royal is set to revert to fences, after finishing third in a hurdle race at Ascot on his first start for Richard Lee.
'I was delighted by his performance at Ascot and I hope that he`d be better over the two miles five furlongs at Cheltenham,' his trainer said.
