Confident Emma looks to a treble (From Andover Advertiser)

Cheltenham going is key to success

10:10am Tuesday 5th March 2013 in Sport

Emma Lavelle hopes the likely better ground at Cheltenham will enable Captain Sunshine to get competitive in the Pertemps Final.

A frustrating season for both Lavelle and the gelding would be forgotten if he could provide the Andover trainer with her third Festival winner after wins for Crack Away Jack and Pause And Clause.

Captain Sunshine looked like being second at worst in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton but fell at the final flight, and dropped himself out in the rear before flashing home to finish second behind Master Of The Sea at Newbury.

"In an ideal world we'll head for the Pertemps rather than the Coral Cup, if he gets in," said Lavelle.

"He's been dropping himself in races and then flashing home but I think that's ground related, he much prefers nicer ground as it helps him travel better.

"It's been so frustrating this season, we've found little bits and pieces wrong with a few of them but he's been running consistently well when the others haven't.

"Take the Grimthorpe on Saturday for instance. We'd been waiting for nice ground for Court By Surprise but he threw himself at the first and with the ground being quick he wasn't keen on leaving the ground thereafter.

"Dougie Costello said he felt fantastic before the race yet it was all over after the first."