? Trainer says Walkon not certain to join Trophy team
? 'I just want to see him squealing at home first'
Walkon, the second-favourite for the Totesport Trophy, is still not certain to line up for Europe's richest handicap hurdle at Newbury on Saturday. Alan King, his trainer, will saddle at least three runners in the event, including the leading fancy Salden Licht, but said Walkon will not be committed to the fiercely competitive race until he is certain the six-year-old is "squealing at home".
Walkon was one of the leading juvenile hurdlers of 2009, when he finished second to Zaynar in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, but suffered a tendon injury in his next race and was missing from action until last month, when he was narrowly beaten under top weight in a handicap at Ascot.
"He's absolutely fine," King said at an open day at his Barbury Castle stables in Wiltshire, "but I won't decide until I see how he works on Wednesday. He's not certain to run, I just want to see him squealing at home first. I was thrilled with his run [at Ascot] and I'd love to go [to Newbury] as he's 6lb 'well in', but we'll see."
Along with Salden Licht, who won a strong handicap at Exeter on his seasonal debut, King will also send The Betchworth Kid and Iolith to Saturday's race, which is worth �85,000 to the winner. "It was a competitive race to go for [at Exeter] but he had to start off somewhere and the form is really backing up," the trainer said. "I think three or four from the race have won since and I was delighted to see Hunterview [third at Exeter] bolt up at Musselburgh on Sunday.
"We knew he was under the weather last season, he missed the Festival and came back to finish second to Captain Chris at Cheltenham in April. He seems a much better horse this year."
Iolith has a similar profile to Get Me Out Of Here, last year's Totesport Trophy winner, in that he is unbeaten in novice events this season. "We always thought he was one of our best novices but I think he just needed more time to acclimatise [after arriving from Germany]," King said. "He was a Group horse on the Flat and he needs to step up here, but he has done everything well. I know one or two don't think he's well handicapped on what he has done but we'll see. He would handle the soft ground but he wouldn't mind it drying up a bit."
There were 24 declarations for the Trophy at the five-day stage, with top weight of 11st 12lb shared by Salden Licht and the ante-post favourite Solix, trained by Nicky Henderson. Henderson, who has won four of the last 11 runnings of the race, also expects to saddle Soldatino and Eradicate. "At the moment I'd be happy with all three of them," Henderson said. "Solix, I hope and think, is a really nice horse but top weight in these handicaps is very difficult. I didn't want 11st 12lb but we'll probably claim 5lb with David Bass riding.
"Solix has some very good, solid form in France. That's the rating he's got and it seems that's where we are going to have to go."
Or Noir De Somoza, a 14-times winner at Auteuil, has returned to David Pipe's yard from Arnaud Chaill�-Chaill�, with an attempt at the Grand National a possible target. The nine-year-old has had one previous start for Pipe, when fourth of five in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot in January 2009.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/feb/07/alan-king-walkon-totesport-trophy
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