News Jamie Snowden keeps options open with Buche De Noel

Jamie Snowden keeps options open with Buche De Noel

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Jamie Snowden has a host of options for his exciting French recruit Buche De Noel.

The five-year-old mare held a plethora of entries this week but Snowden is content to wait for the opportunity which suits her best, having won over hurdles and fences in France.

"I don't think she'll go to Kempton on Saturday as taking on Ptit Zig and Wishfull Thinking on her first run over here would be a big ask," said Snowden.

"We'll wait for an easier option, but she looks a smart recruit.

"She works nicely and had a progressive profile in France.

"If we ran her against other mares she'd have a double penalty over hurdles and in novice chases, like the one she was entered in at Doncaster, you're taking on the likes of Vyta Du Roc.

"The race for her is the Listed novice hurdle for mares at Sandown on February 19, but I'd like to run her before then.

"There's a graduation chase at Market Rasen and if we run there, we'd hopefully see what we have with Cheltenham in mind.

"The two obvious options there are the mares' race or a novice handicap chase, but if she wins her graduation chase, we might be looking at the JLT.

"There's also a Grade Two at Haydock on the 23rd of this month (Altcar Novices' Chase) and were she to win that, we might think about the Scilly Isles at Sandown on February 6."