NORMAN Lee is hopeful his stable star Sole Pretender can progress into a Grade 1 hurdler this winter, starting today in the Unibet Elite Hurdle (3:35) at Wincanton.

The Galway trainer has mainly kept the seven-year-old to a summer schedule up until now and the son of Gold Well was last seen finishing a close up seventh in the Galway Hurdle off a mark of 150.

He takes on six rivals today including last year’s winner Sceau Royal and another course winner in Goshen.

“It’s a proper good Grade 2,” Lee told The Irish Field from Wincanton yesterday. “We’re starting him off for a winter campaign this year and we haven’t done that before so we want to go for a few nice graded races with him now and see where we lie, see can we step up the line all the time.

“He’s won a Grade 3 so now we’ll see how he goes in a Grade 2 and hopefully then in a Grade 1 all going well. The ground was the main reason to go over. We had him in the Grade 2 at Aintree as well but the ground was soft to heavy so we decided to go to Wincanton for the good ground.

“It’s a very competitive race but he’s in good form at home and he runs well fresh. Let’s hope he runs a cracker.”

Peter Fahey’s Belfast Banter makes up the Irish challenge as he seeks to get back on the winning trail following an excellent run in the spring which saw him take the County Hurdle and Grade 1 Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. Jumping errors have cost him on his last two starts but he should have conditions in his favour and may get his desired quick pace to run off with Fergal O’Brien’s Teqany likely to make the running, with Goshen also likely to be prominent.

Earlier, the Badger Beer Handicap Chase (3:00) provides one of the better betting heats of the day with bookmakers going 5/1 field last night.

Last year’s one-two El Presente and Potterman, are back again, each off a 6lb higher mark. The latter won the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown last April and represents Alan King who has his horses in fine form at the moment having sent out eight winners in the last two weeks.

In-form Snowden keen on Grand Sefton pair

THE Betway Grand Sefton Handicap Chase (2:15) will be run at Aintree’s November meeting for the first time today following it’s switch from December when it usually takes place on the same day as the Becher Chase.

The 14-runner field includes the 2019 winner Hogan’s Height, a 16-length winner on the day, who bids to become the first dual winner of the two-mile-five-furlong contest run over the National fences since the race was revived in 2003.

He is trained by Jamie Snowden who has his horses in good form with a 21% strike rate since the beginning of October and who also has Thomas Macdonagh declared for this race.

On Hogan’s Height, the Lambourn trainer said: “He’s the Sefton winner from two years ago and missed out on the Grand National that year because of the pandemic, of course. Nothing went right for him last year and he ended up having two operations on a joint, so he did well to qualify for the National and to be the second British horse home that day.

“He’s had a far better run of it this time around and very much needed his prep run at Newton Abbot the other day, so he comes here in good order. He’s not getting any younger, but he obviously likes the Grand National fences and likes the ground there.”

Cork native Gavin Sheehan has been booked to ride Thomas Macdonagh whom Snowden is also sweet on.

“I think he goes there in great shape,” the trainer said. “He’s coming out of novice company and looks well-handicapped on some of his hurdling form. He jumps his fences really well and schooled well over the National fences and he comes here in great nick with the ground sure to suit him too.”

Henry de Bromhead’s Spyglass Hill and Edward O’Grady’s The West’s Awake provide the Irish interest in the race while ex-pat Sir Jack Yeats, once trained by Ellmarie Holden, looks to have a leading chance for current handler Richard Spencer, having finished second in this race last season.

Gordon hopeful Teahupoo can progress at Naas

GORDON Elliott has won the last two renewals of the Grade 3 BetVictor Fishery Lane Hurdle (12:50) at Naas and is hopeful of making it three wins in a row today with the Robcour-owned Teahupoo.

The son of Masked Marvel didn’t make his debut until January but was an impressive winner at Fairyhouse and went on to finish second to subsequent Punchestown Grade 1 scorer Jeff Kidder in a Grade 2 at the same track in April.

“Teahupoo showed a good level of form last season which was very pleasing,” Elliott said yesterday morning. “He is a horse that always looked like he would progress with a summer behind him. This Saturday looks a hot race but we are looking forward to getting him started.”

Elliott also has a strong hand in the Grade 3 Popular Square Chase (1:20) with Felix Desjy the highest rated of the six-runner field and he is joined by stable companion Andy Dufresne. Elliott reported: “Felix Desjy won a Grade 2 at Punchestown this time last year which is good form and Andy Dufresne ran a solid race in a Grade 1 and is a solid horse on his day.”