No National bid for Lord Du Mesnil

Trainer Richard Hobson says the French Gold Cup is an option for Lord Du Mesnil but a Grand National bid this year is unlikely.

Hobson also revealed the RSA Chase at the Cheltenham Festival could be a target but conditions would have to be right for his charge.

Lord Du Mesnil is likely to compete in the 2021 Grand National but Hobson isn’t thinking about a run-out in the Aintree showpiece this year.

“I very much doubt he’ll go the Grand National this year – seven-year-olds don’t have a great history in the race,” he said.

“If he goes for anything I’d say he’ll go for a big pot in France. The French Gold Cup might be for him – plenty of seven-year-olds have run well in that.

“There’s a Listed chase for him in April at Auteuil, which is £50,000 to the winner, and that might suit him. It’s over three miles, which he’s never run over in France, and then we’ll campaign him as a National horse next year.”

He added: “He’ll be entered in the RSA, and never say never, but everything is ground dependent with him. If it’s soft, the RSA and the National Hunt Chase definitely come into it – there are plenty of options, but it all depends on the ground.”

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