Trainer Fiona Needham will send her Cheltenham Festival hero Sine Nomine to contest the William Hill Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase at Wetherby on Boxing Day before charting the mare’s path for the remainder of the season.
The eight-year-old has excelled on the point-to-point circuit, claiming four victories from six hunter chases, including her standout triumph in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Following a 257-day break, Sine Nomine stepped up to Listed company last month in the Bud Booth Mares’ Chase at Market Rasen, but unseated jockey John Dawson after a costly mistake five fences out. Despite the mishap, Needham is optimistic about her chances at Wetherby.
“The plan is the Rowland Meyrick,” Needham said. “It was unfortunate at Market Rasen because she was running well, but she was a little fresh, and the softer ground she prefers wasn’t there until then.”
Needham believes the mare will benefit from her recent outing.
“She should come on for the run,” she said. “I’d like to think I had her fitter than usual for her first point-to-point, but she’ll be sharper now. Hopefully, we’ve worked out some of the daftness, and she’s ready for a better performance.”
The trainer remains undecided about whether Sine Nomine will stay in higher-grade races or return to the hunter-chase circuit, depending on her performance at Wetherby.
“We’ll see what happens on Boxing Day,” she added. “If we’re outclassed, it’s good to know she’s still qualified for Cheltenham and Aintree in the hunter-chases. For now, we’ll let her show us what she’s capable of and take it from there.”
The Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase will provide crucial insight into Sine Nomine’s prospects for the rest of the season, keeping both Listed competition and hunter-chase options on the table.