Pendleton will ride Pacha Du Polder over 3 miles at Fakenham on Friday 19th February.
Nicholls told betting.betfair.com, “Should Victoria reach Cheltenham, her and Pacha Du Polder are more than capable of finishing in the first six. Victoria’s improvement since challenge began is phenomenal,” says Nicholls.
Champion trainer, Paul Nicholls said, “Fakenham is the logical target after their excellent debut together when they failed by inches to land a Point-to-Point at Milborne St Andrew on January 31st. It is important for Victoria to gain experience in a Hunter Chase before considering a tilt at the ultimate challenge of riding in the St James’s Place Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham in March.”
The three mile Hunter Chase at Fakenham is seen as yet another step towards Pendleton’s ambitious goal of riding in the St James’ place Foxhunters Chase at Cheltenham.
Nicholls added: “The race over 3 miles at Fakenham, an easy track, looks ideal and comes at a perfect time before Cheltenham. Pacha Du Polder is a very classy chaser, a brilliant jumper, travels well in his races, has smart form over Aintree’s National fences and showed he stayed three miles at Milborne St Andrew.”
