MALCOLM JEFFERSON has given stable star Roman Ark two options at Haydock Park on Saturday’s Peter Marsh Chase day, while Jason Maguire was confirmed as Donald McCain junior’s stable jockey.

Both Roman Ark and McCain’s Idle Talk were among the 21 entries for this Saturday’s feature, the £75,000 Grade Two Peter Marsh Chase, at yesterday’s five-day declaration stage.

But North Yorkshire handler Jefferson has also entered course specialist Roman Ark in the £50,000 Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial, another of the four prestigious Grade Two contests on Saturday’s six-race card.

The 10-year-old grey has scored four times at the Merseyside venue, including his seasonal reappearance on his last visit to Haydock in the Betfair Casino Zero Lounge Handicap Chase on soft ground in November, while he has not been out of the first three in six completed starts there.

Roman Ark also thrives on the heavy ground he will encounter this weekend and took the Grade Two Anglo Irish Bank Novices’ Hurdle over two miles under similar conditions at Haydock two years ago.

But should he line up in the Peter Marsh it would be the first time he has run over further than 2m4f.

His Malton-based handler said yesterday: “Roman Ark will go to Haydock for either the Peter Marsh Chase or the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial. I’m going to have a look at the entries before making a final decision as to which race he goes for.

“He loves Haydock and he relishes heavy ground, so I’m just going to see what the opposition is like before committing.”

Jefferson added: “I’m considering the Peter Marsh Chase but the distance would worry me a little bit.

“If it was heavy ground, then the jockeys would not go flat out anyway over three miles, but I’m just going to see. His mother won over three and a quarter miles but two or two and a half miles on really heavy going seems to suit him best, because he goes on that ground.

“He might yet run in the Bonusprint.com Champion Hurdle Trial because two miles around there, if the ground is heavy, would be no problem to him. He’s a very decent horse around Haydock and he’s in great form.”

Since his last visit to Haydock Park Roman Ark was a disappointing 11th of 16 behind Tamarinbleu in the Grade Three Boylesports.com Gold Cup at Cheltenham last month.

But Jefferson said: “I don’t know what went wrong last time. It was a funny race and a few horses, including the favourite, ran no race. We thought maybe we disappointed Roman Ark because we dropped him out a bit more than we should have done.”

Among the opposition for the Peter Marsh could be McCain’s Idle Talk and he will again be partnered by Maguire, who has been on board the nine-year-old on all his starts since owner Trevor Hemmings sent him to the Cholmondeley-based handler.

The trainer confirmed that Maguire, who has ridden 23 winners this season including eight for McCain, will be the number one jockey at Bankhouse Stables.

McCain said: “I’ve been thinking about it for a little while now. I’m a big fan of him as a rider and think he’s the number one jockey without a proper job.

“We’re becoming a pretty big set-up with about 90 horses in now and I think that this is best for Jason, myself, the owners and the yard.

“I’m delighted for the owners. It is a fairly loose arrangement and hopefully it will work well.”

McCain’s second jockey Stephen Craine has left the yard to be based with Heather Dalton. But the 25-year-old jockey, who had his best season last year with 34 winners, will still ride out once a week at McCain’s yard.

Among other interesting entries for this Saturday’s Haydock feature are David Pipe’s King George VI Chase runner-up Our Vic; last season’s Racing Post Chase victor Simon; The Outlier, who was successful in the Peter Marsh Chase 12 months ago; and the lightly-raced Grade One winner Patricksnineteenth.

The ground at Haydock is currently heavy, with further rain expected this week.

HAYDOCK DETAILS: Saturday’s six-race card features the Peter Marsh Chase. The first race is due off at 12.55pm with the last at 3.40pm. Admission is £23 in the County Enclosure, £14 Tattersalls and £7 Newton Enclosure. Accompanied children under 16 enter free. Senior citizens and students, with appropriate identification enter Tattersalls and the Newton Enclosure at half price. For more details are available on the website www.haydock-park.co.uk

TODAY’S NAP: River Indus (3.20pm Folkestone).