Tony Carroll has high hopes his Irish import Gracchus can come up with the goods in the John Smith's Scottish Champion Chase at Musselburgh today.
The Worcestershire trainer bought the six-year-old out of Noel Meade's stable and was delighted with his first run in Britain when second to Marodima at Warwick last month.
"He ran very well at Warwick for us and we're going up to Scotland for the good ground. We'd be hopeful of a very big run. We bought him at the sales in Ireland and hopefully he'll continue to progress. He's already a nice horse," said Carroll.
Lucinda Russell is looking further ahead with her three runners - Quito Du Tresor, Santa's Son and Safari Adventures.
The Kinross trainer said: "All of them have got different targets. We are claiming off Quito Du Tresor with Grant Cockburn and we are looking at the Grand Annual at Cheltenham for him, but I see he meets De Boitron off worse terms.
"We've got Santa's Son, who will be going to Aintree for the Topham Chase. He prefers better ground. Safari Adventures has been a bit out of form. We are trying him back over two miles, having been over further before. We are going to see if he can regain his enthusiasm and he's normally better going right-handed."
De Boitron is also being aimed at the Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old's target being the Grand Annual Handicap Chase, in which he was fourth in 2011.
Trainer Ferdy Murphy said: "He ran better than his finishing position suggests at Doncaster last time and he's in good shape. The track at Musselburgh might be tight enough for him, but we want to get a run into him before going back to Cheltenham. He ran well in the Grand Annual last season and that would be his target again."
John Wade is doubly represented and feels Woody Waller and Indian Groom both have an each-way chance.
He said: "I think Woody Waller will go very well and both of them have a squeak. He got beat last time. I thought the time before he might have won, but he didn't. We don't know a lot about Indian Groom yet, but he's all right. We bought him off Howard (Johnson)."
