Surprise Champion Hurdle winner on schedule to return to action at Wetherby

Golden Ace, who landed a dramatic race at the Cheltenham Festival in March at odds of 25-1, is set to start her campaign in a mares’ race

Shock Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace is on schedule to return to action at Wetherby on Saturday.

Trainer Jeremy Scott’s stable star won a dramatic race at the Cheltenham Festival in March after Constitution Hill made an early exit and State Man fell at the last with victory seemingly in the bag. Golden Ace, who was five lengths down, was able to take advantage and pull off a 25-1 success and then ran well in a rematch at Punchestown in May where she finished second to State Man.

As her new season begins, Scott has entered the mare in the bet365 Mares’ Hurdle at Wetherby, where she will run provided conditions suit. Comfortably the top-rated horse in the field she is a 4-7 chance with William Hill to make a winning start to the campaign under regular rider Loran Williams.

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“She’s very well, I’ve just watched her work on the grass and she seems in very good form,” said Scott.

“I’d definitely want the ground at Wetherby to be on the softer side of good so we’ll have to make sure the ground is okay, but otherwise the plan is to run her.”

Golden Ace is a mare who has generally come to hand in the latter stages of her campaign, but her preparation this year has been more straightforward than in the past and if early runs go well, all roads will lead back to Cheltenham.

Scott added: “This is the first time we’ve managed to get to this stage without having any real hiccups, we’re really happy with her.

“Naturally it all depends on how she runs throughout the season, but that (a Cheltenham return) is our plan at the moment.”