Michael Scudamore believes that Next Sensation is ready to return to action in the Grand Annual at the Cheltenham Festival next week.
The eight-year-old has not been seen since a fourth-placed finish in the bet365 Handicap Chase at Newbury in November, but now appears primed to return to action next Friday at the Festival.
The gelding finished fourth in the same race last year but his Scudamore is hopeful that the break from racing may have done him some good and revealed that the Mark Blandford-owned horse has also undergone a successful breathing operation.
The trainer said: “He had a racecourse gallop and that went very well and a breathing operation since his last run. Hopefully, that and better ground we will see him back to somewhere he should be.
Scudamore is also hoping that conditions at Cheltenham are not too soft but did admit that the eight-year-old has performed admirably on the heavier surfaces of late.
“He hates the soft ground and every time we have run him this year it has nearly been heavy,” he added.
“We actually thought he ran a great race at Newbury considering the conditions.”
