Definitly Red looks set to be amongst the entries for the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock on Saturday afternoon, Brian Ellison using the Grade Two race as a stepping stone to this year’s renewal of the Grand National which takes place on April 4th.
Definitly Red has triumphed in five Grade Two features, these including the Charlie Hall at Wetherby, Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham and the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree, the latter on two occasions.
He also triumphed in a Grade Two over hurdles at Haydock Park back in 2015 and while he has finished sixth and been brought down in the 2018 and 2019 runnings of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, connections are instead focusing primarily on another crack at the Randox Health Grand National.
Definitly Red was pulled up at the famous steeplechase two years ago when he was hampered first time round at Becher’s Brook and he made another run over the big fences at Aintree when finishing fourth to Walk In The Mill in the Becher Chase last month.
Ellison said: “He runs at Haydock at the moment.
“When the ground is heavy and sloppy that’s fine for him, he gets through that no problem – when he tends to struggle is when the ground is tacky.
“They tend to get through the ground at Haydock when it’s heavy – well – hopefully he will.
“He’s in good form and we’re using it as a prep for the Grand National. After this he might go to Kelso at the end of February.”
Definitly Red is an ante-post price of 33/1 in the 2020 Randox Health Grand National.
