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Ashley Brook Set to Take On Kauto Star and Company at Aintree 24/10/07

Ashley Brook is all set for a possible showdown with Kauto Star, Exotic Dancer and My Way De Solzen in a mouth-watering renewal of the ££50,000 Grade Two Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase (2.40pm), a limited handicap run over two and a half miles at Aintree on Sunday, October 28, and the first race in the 2007/08 Order of Merit.

Kevin Bishop's stable star recorded his biggest career success in the Grade One John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree in April, 2005, when storming to a 16-length victory over subsequent Cheltenham Gold Cup victor War Of Attrition.

The nine-year-old, who has an excellent record first time out, has not been seen since falling at the final fence in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March, when in contention for a place, and Bishop is looking forward to seeing his charge back on the racecourse this weekend.

The Somerset trainer revealed today: "The plan is for Ashley Brook to go to Aintree on Sunday for the Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase, providing the ground is reasonable.

"He seems very well in himself at present. Ashley Brook does most of his work on his own, so it's not always easy to tell how fit he is, although I am very happy with him.

"Before he ran in the Maghull at Aintree, we thought the track might be too quick for him, but obviously he ran one of his best races there. He has won on heavy ground and is quite versatile, but he wouldn’’t want any jar in the ground.

"I have always thought he would get three miles, as he won over two miles and six furlongs at Newton Abbot, but whether he is any better over further is hard to say. Two and a half miles certainly won't inconvenience him."

Despite having had his fair share of injury problems, which resulted in him missing the whole of 2006, Ashley Brook is as a good as ever in the eyes of his handler, who is again eyeing Cheltenham in March.

Bishop continued: "Unless Paddy [Brennan] tells me otherwise, we will probably train him with the Queen Mother Champion Chase as his main target. I would hope he is as good as ever. He would have gone pretty close in the Champion Chase but for falling, which would have been as good a run as he has produced.

"Of course it will be a tough ask for Ashley Brook. Kauto Star does seem to have the biggest engine of any horse for some time and My Way De Solzen is in there too. With his hurdle rating, he could be the best treated.

"But my fellow is incredibly determined and his fall last season won't have fazed him. He’’s as hard as nails and in good shape for his return."

A total of 18 horses are entered for the Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase, including the Paul Nicholls-trained Kauto Star, who landed the prize last year en route to Cheltenham Gold Cup glory, when he defeated Exotic Dancer, trained by Jonjo O'Neill, by two and a half lengths.

My Way De Solzen, trained by Alan King, took the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham in March, while other high-class entries include Nicky Richards’’ Monet's Garden, who captured the John Smith's Melling Chase at Aintree in April. Hi Cloy, trained by Michael Hourigan, is the sole Irish entry.

The Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase is the highlight of an excellent seven-race card at Aintree on Sunday, October 28, and is Race One in the Order of Merit, which awards points to the season’’s most prolific high-class horses, resulting in a prize of £200,000 to the overall winner.

The day’s other feature contest is the £30,000 Personalised Calendars From Bonusprint.com Hurdle (2.10pm), a four-year-old only extended two-mile hurdle that could well see the return of last year’’s star juvenile hurdler Katchit, trained by Alan King.

Aintree's new jumps season gets underway on Saturday, October 27 with a six-race programme, the most valuable event being the £22,000 intercasino.co.uk Molyneux Novices’’ Chase over two miles, in which high-class hurdler Tidal Bay heads 10 entries.

AINTREE WATERS TO MAINTAIN GOOD GROUND

Officials at Aintree will ensure that the going is no quicker than good ahead of the two-day fixture this weekend.

Andrew Tulloch, Clerk of the Course at Aintree, said: "The ground is good at the moment and the forecast is for continued dry weather. We watered on Saturday and again on Monday, and we will monitor the ground up to the weekend.

"I am very pleased with how the ground looks and we are watering to maintain what we have got. Unbelievably for this time of year, we are not forecast any rain up until Friday, and that is as far as we know. We aim to produce good, safe jumping ground.

"The entries for the Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase are fantastic and it will be a race to savour."