Horse Racing: Demon Ready for Tough Clash, Reports Knight

A thrilling finish to the Scottish Grand National on Saturday was a reminder that there is plenty of life left in the jumps season, which reaches its domestic conclusion at Sandown next weekend, and features a series of Grade One races at Punchestown starting with the Kerrygold Champion Chase tomorrow.

Henrietta Knight will be seeking a change of luck at the five-day Irish festival when she sends Racing Demon for Wednesday's Punchestown Guinness Gold Cup. "We've had plenty of seconds there, fallers too," said the trainer yesterday. "But Racing Demon is very well and we're hoping for the best."

The seven-year-old, who will be partnered by Graham Lee, again showed a tendency to jump out to his right when finishing fifth behind Taranis in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham. "There's no point going left-handed with him any more," said Knight. "Punchestown is the right way round for him, but it's a stiff track and his staying power will be tested."

River City, trained by Noel Chance, is the sole British raider in tomorrow's Kerrygold Champion Chase, in which Nickname and Newmill lead the home defence.

While Brave Inca will step up to three miles to contest Thursday's Stayers' Hurdle, Dessie Hughes, the trainer of Hardy Eustace, said yesterday that his 10-year-old is to stick to two miles in the ACC Bank Champion Hurdle on Friday.

Hot Weld, game winner of the Scottish National, is to make a quick reappearance in Saturday's Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown. He gets a 14-1 quote from the sponsers, who have three co-favourites on 6-1, Alderburn, Reveillez and Exotic Dancer.