Penny Max could take on Grand Crus

Penny Max winning at Newbury in November 2011

If Grands Crus is to go for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 17 he has to get past Penny Max on Saturday at Newbury.

Emma Lavelle hasn’t overstepped the mark in taking on David Pipe’s Cheltenham Gold Cup contender. She said on Tuesday morning: “There will be a small field, we know Penny Max loves Newbury and there is no down side – except that if we beat Grands Cru my plans for the Hennessy Gold Cup are probably out the window!”

Certainly Penny Max’s current handicap rating, which would just about get him into the most celebrated handicap chase of the season next November, would suffer were he to lower the colours of a horse thought capable of taking on Kauto Star and Long Run in chasing’s blue riband.

Grands Cru, the unbeaten winner of his three chases including the Grade 1 Feltham on Boxing Day, will scare most people off but it isn’t hubris that inclines Emma into pitching Penny Max against him. Nor is she merely flying a kite in the expectation that the weather will scupper everybody’s plans.

“Penny Max is in terrific form and if we race he’ll give everybody a thrill,” said the trainer.

The forecast gives little encouragement that the meeting will take place – covers are alright as far as they go – two or three degrees of frost can be withstood but the forecast is for upwards of minus nine degrees. That would knock out one of the best days jumping outside the Cheltenham Festival.

Possibly Grands Cru’s connections will be more concerned about the weather than Penny Max; touché is what Emma Lavelle would say to that.

The going is currently good to soft, soft in places and the rails have been moved in so that there is 6m of fresh ground on the inside. The Fleece frost covers have been on the track since January 31 and wil be lifted on Saturday.