Former champion novice chaser L’Homme Presse is set to make his return to the racecourse at Haydock in the Lancashire Chase for local trainer Venetia Williams. The horse has been tipped to be a future Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, so it is set to be an important run for the eight-year-old in Lancashire.
It will be the horse’s first start in 11 months, as he has not featured since he unseated his jockey Harry Cobden in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day in 2022. His mistake came at the final fence of that race and had he got over, he would have been certain to finish in the placings. Williams, a former winner of the Grand National, knows exactly what is required to train a horse at the highest level. Her latest star chaser could be the next to follow in the footsteps of some of her best achievers such as Mon Mome, Teeton Mill and Yala Enki.
L'Homme Presse lands the Brown Advisory!
Outstanding from @charliedeutsch2 ? pic.twitter.com/txCKPKQfgG
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 16, 2022
In his opening season on the track, L’Homme Presse won two Grade One races. He was victorious in the Scilly Isles Novices’ Chase and the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, with the latter coming at the Cheltenham Festival.
The eight-year-old has been successful on his opening start of the season on each of the last two campaigns, so he has shown he is often at his best in the early stages of the National Hunt calendar. Should L’Homme Presse produce a good performance at Haydock, he is likely to return to action a month later to tackle the King George VI Chase again.
Williams Bidding For Another Excellent Campaign With Strong Stable
In a career that started in 1995, Williams has consistently been at the top end of the Trainers’ Championship in the UK. She looks set to challenge the likes of Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Dan Skelton once again this season as she has one of her strongest stables yet.
One of Williams’ most promising hurdlers is Jolly Nellerie. He was victorious in France before moving to the UK. Horse racing shares can be purchased in the novice hurdler with RaceShare ahead of his opening run of the 2023/24 campaign. If he reproduces the same form he showed in France, he will have a great chance of adding to Williams’ prize money total this season.
? He looks the real deal
? Top-weight Royale Pagaille runs out a ready winner of the G2 Peter Marsh Handicap Chase with a monstrous performance for @tommyscu & @VenetiaWRacing in the Ricci colours at @haydockraces
Results & free replays ➡ https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/vi7ODc2uB6
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 23, 2021
The Aramstone Stables trainer will also be looking forward to seeing Royale Pagaille back in action. He is a two-time winner of the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock, one of the leading staying races of the season over fences. His primary target is likely to be the Grand National at Aintree. Given what he produced so far in his career, he should relish the marathon distance in the world’s most famous steeplechase.
Djelo is a horse who is set to embark on his opening chase campaign for Williams. He was victorious over hurdles at Exeter last season, but he is expected to improve for the switch to bigger obstacles. The novice chaser has early entries to feature at Aintree and Sandown.
If L’Homme Presse and the rest of the Aramstone Stable fulfil their potential before the campaign ends in April, it could turn out to be the best season of Williams’ career, which will be some accomplishment given what she has already achieved in the sport.
