HARRY FRY is likely to leave it as late as possible before deciding where to run his exciting hurdler Gidleigh Park at Cheltenham.
The unbeaten six-year-old has the option to run in either the Baring Bingham over two miles and five furlongs or the Albert Bartlett over three miles.
He bolted up over two and a half in the mud at Newbury in December, beating a subsequent dual-winner of Paul Nicholls’ out of sight.
But he was made to work hard when justifying 5-6 favouritism in the trial for the Baring Bingham at Cheltenham last month, making it a perfect 4-4 in the process.
Gidleigh Park is a general 8-1 shot for the Albert Bartlett, a race Fry won with Unowhatimeanharry back in 2016, and similar odds for the shorter race.
The Dorset trainer would have no hesitation stepping him up in distance, but the decision will hinge entirely on ground conditions come Festival week.
Fry said: “I’m delighted with everything he has done so far.
“He wasn’t overly impressive on Trials Day but he will have learnt plenty having had to knuckle down and fight, and he ran strongly through the line.
“If the ground was soft or slower we will look at the Baring Bingham, but any better than that we will head to the Albert Bartlett.
“The race on Trials Day was on the New Course which I think will suit him best with the long run-in, but he’s by no means slow so if we had one of those wet Cheltenham’s I’d have no worries staying at two and a half.
“Interestingly, the race we won on Trials Day has produced several winners of the Albert Bartlett, and ultimately he is going to be a three-mile chaser, there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree.
“I can’t commit right here, right now, but we have the two options and we will just have to keep an eye on the weather in the final few days beforehand.”
Fry also reckons his ‘secret weapon’ at Cheltenham could be the talented Might I, who will run in the Coral Cup.
He has had three over fences this season but will revert to hurdles off a tempting mark of 142.
Fry added: “One day it is all going to drop right for him, and he ran a great race off 3lb higher in the Martin Pipe last year.
“He isn’t a natural over fences and I think the Coral Cup could really suit him. His work has been absolutely stunning recently.”
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