Native River
set for Newbury

NATIVE River will again use the Denman Chase as a final preparation for the defence of his Cheltenham Gold Cup title, trainer Colin Tizzard has revealed. He said of the eight-year-old, who has won the Newbury Grade 2 in each of the last two seasons: “All being well Native River will come back for the Denman Chase, as long as it is not frosted off and all is well with the horse and the ground. That is very much Plan A. We were very pleased with him at Kempton [when third to Clan Des Obeaux in the King George] as he stayed on really strongly. It was a good run given it was going right-handed and the track was against him.”