MARCUS TREGONING believes Askar Tau, ante-post favourite for the totesport.com Cesarewitch is in fine form ahead of the big race at Newmarket a week on Saturday.
The progressive Montjeu colt is currently a best-priced 5-1 with Coral for the Newmarket contest and will be ridden by Merseyside jockey Martin Dwyer.
Having won his last five races, the handicapper is having trouble keeping up with his progression and he appears well in as his official mark is 105 but he will race off just 96 in the early-closing handicap.
Tregoning said: “He’s in great form and I’m very happy with him.
“Everything is going fine. Obviously there is going to be a huge field but the horse is in well at the weights and he’s in great form. He won’t be doing a serious piece of work as such before the Cesarewitch as he’s won his last five races so he’s not going to get any fitter now.
“It will be a pretty normal schedule from now on, we’ll just keep ticking away with him and he’s a very clean winded horse anyway so it won’t be a question of fitness.
“He hasn’t surprised me at all because I thought he was a very late-maturing type anyway and he’s got in on a good mark because he was too weak to run really.
“Anyway, he’s learned plenty from his races and he’s got a good temperament.”
Meanwhile, Cheltenham Racecourse have announced significant changes to the racing schedule for The Festival, which takes place from March 10 to 13 next year.
On each day of The Festival, the feature race – the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, World Hurdle and Gold Cup – will now be the fourth race of the day starting at 3.20pm with the first race each day due off at the earlier time of 1.30pm.
TODAY’S NAP: Dispol Grand (2.10pm Nottingham).
SEE TOMORROW’S DAILY POST FOR THE CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS TO AINTREE’S TWO-DAY MEETING LATER THIS MONTH
