3 minute read

Connections of Melodic Rendezvous are to mull over the options for their smart hurdler after he finished third behind The New One at Haydock on Saturday.

The three-time Grade Two winner holds an entry in the StanJames.com Fighting Fifth at Newcastle on Saturday, but trainer Jeremy Scott feels it might come too soon and he would only travel up to Tyneside if the ground was soft enough.

One of the other choices is to go novice chasing, where the prize money is not quite as good as the valuable hurdle races Melodic Rendezvous competes in.

"He's come out of the race fine. We'll have a regroup and see where we go," said the Somerset handler.

"I personally think the Fighting Fifth will come too soon, but I'll discuss it with the owners and take it from there.

"I nearly pulled him out yesterday as the ground was not as soft as everyone was telling me. It was on the Flat track and if it had it been on the old track I think we'd have been fine.

"I've been looking at the weather forecast to see if there's going to be enough rain for us to go, but there is actually rain forecast for Saturday up there now. I'll talk to the owners and make a decision.

"It's up in the air about going chasing. The trouble is if we're going to go over fences we should kick on and go.

"On the other hand, there's the prize money. We picked up £9,000 yesterday finishing third. If we'd gone in a novice chase, it would have to be a pretty decent one to get that sort of money.

"At the end of the day the books have to balance."