Racing

Enda Bolger expects an Aintree response from On The Fringe

‘He does love Aintree... Maybe the ground was a little quick for him at Cheltenham’

On The Fringe, with Nina Carberry up, jumps the last on the way to winning the Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015. Photograph: Getty Images

Thu Mar 23 2017 - 10:30

Enda Bolger is hoping a return to the Aintree fences will help On The Fringe bounce back to winning form after he was beaten at Cheltenham last week.

The pre-eminent hunter chaser of his day was looking to win at the Festival for the third successive year but could only stay on into fourth behind Pacha Du Polder.

He has also won Aintree’s Randox Health Foxhunters’ Chase for the past two seasons and his trainer is looking forward to him returning to Merseyside, for which he is one of 38 entries.

“All going well he’ll be at Aintree,” said Bolger.

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“He came back safe and sound which is the main thing, maybe the ground was a little quick for him at Cheltenham.

“By the time of the race it had even quickened up from when I walked it in the morning, but we’re only looking forwards now, not back.

“He does love Aintree, he seems to come alive over those fences so hopefully that is in our favour.

“He had a lot of ground to make up at Cheltenham and just stayed on one-paced, but at Aintree he seems to be able to go with them early even though it’s a shorter trip.”

Cheltenham winner Pacha Du Polder will aim to follow up for Paul Nicholls while Balnaslow, who was prominent throughout, is another in the mix.

Persian Snow, Grand Vision, Big Fella Thanks and Black Thunder are other notable entries.

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