Trainer Nicky Henderson says Santini now only has a “50-50” chance of running in the Cotswold Chase on Saturday.
The nine-year-old is once again set to contest the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, but the recent weather means Henderson is struggling to find a prep run. Saturday's race at Cheltenham was Henderson's main target, but the testing ground is something he is worried about.
Henderson says he plans to discuss the situation with owner Richard Kelvin-Hughes, with Santini possibly facing the prospect of heading straight to Cheltenham, three months after his fifth-place finish at Kempton in the King George VI Chase.
He told Nick Luck's Daily Podcast: “I would be nervous about him in heavy ground because he doesn't like it. These races are more about – it is called Trials Day – it is a trial. If he's going to hate it, it will do more harm than good.
“We're just juggling balls, and I've got to say it's 50-50. We might have to think of something else, but the ground is heavy everywhere, and it's not going to be any better next week or the week after, I suspect. It is a nightmare at the moment.”
