Ultima next for Kempton winner Walt

Neil Mulholland is lining up the Ultima at Cheltenham on the back of his win in Saturday’s 888Sport Handicap Chase at Kempton.

The eight-year-old had received 20lb from Double Shuffle and took full advantage in the latter stages of the three-mile contest as he crossed the line a length ahead of the course specialist and 2017 runner-up, while third place went to Adrien Du Pont another four lengths away.

Mulholland is now casting his eye to next month’s Cheltenham Festival with a run over the same distance for Walt.

He said: “That was great. We just tried to freshen him up after last time. We won this race a couple of years ago with Pilgrims Bay and we thought this lad was a similar type of horse.

“With the ground being as it is we thought we would enter him and thankfully it has all worked out. I think the visor has done a good job. He enjoys being aggressively ridden and likes to be up there.

“I’d say the Ultima (Handicap Chase) is probably where we will go. I will speak to Sam (Twiston-Davies), but I think we will stay over this trip.”