Trainer Charlie Longsdon is unsure exactly what the plans are for Pendra at this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
The seven-year-old has only had one start so far this season when he finished in fourth place behind No Buts in the Hennessy meeting at Newbury in November.
The Chestnut Gelding did finish a superb third at the novice handicap chase at Prestbury Park last March under the stewardship of AP McCoy and trainer Longsdon believes that the good form he has shown in past races will stand him in good stead at Cheltenham, despite a recent lack of action.
He said: “He has not run since finishing fourth at Newbury in November as he has had a wind operation. He has been in good form and we could have run him at Warwick, but we thought we would leave it and go straight to Cheltenham.”
The JP McManus-owned horse has been entered into both the Ultima Business Solutions Handicap Chase and the Kim Muir at this year’s Festival, but with his owner having so many horses running at this year’s event, a final decision on which race Pendra will compete in has yet to be made.
Longsdon explained: “Pendra will run in one of the three-mile handicap chases at the Cheltenham Festival. It depends what the plans are regarding the owner’s other horses as to which one he ends up going for.”
