Jockey David Maxwell has confirmed he is set to team up with Shantou Flyer in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham.
The 10-year-old finished as the runner-up in the same race at the Festival in 2019 and Maxwell, who owns the horse, has decided to sit in the saddle.
Maxwell also has the option of teaming up with Bob And Co, but he expects the nine-year-old to swerve Prestbury Park in favour of a run at Aintree in April.
Shantou Flyer was previously trained by Colin Bowe, Rebecca Curtis and Richard Hobson but Maxwell sent him to Rose Loxton’s stable and he’s flourished.
He has enjoyed a strong build-up to Cheltenham, winning his last two races and Maxwell says he is ready to go ahead of this year’s Festival.
Maxwell told www.pointtopoint.co.uk: “I think he’s improved. If you had asked me before Fakenham whether I would go back to Cheltenham to take on Hazel Hill, I would have said ‘no chance’, but he felt like a different horse and jumped really well.
“Rose is very good with these jaded older horses who have talent, and Rose gets it out of them.
“We are very lucky in point-to-pointing to have so many brilliant stock people who really understand horses.”
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