Cheltenham Festival 2017 – Alan King hoping Winter Escape can bounce back in the County Hurdle at the Festival

WINTER ESCAPE will try to get his career back on track in the County Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Alan King’s six-year-old was allotted 10st 8lb following the release of the weights on Wednesday.

Winter Escape was unbeaten last season, culminating in a Grade 2 success at Kempton, but he has not been seen since he finished down the field in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November.

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King said: “He’s been under the weather since the Greatwood but he’s back in very good form now.

“He will almost certainly go for the County Hurdle.

“He probably wants decent ground. I wouldn’t run him if it was very testing.

“He’s back in good order and I still think he is a very good horse.

Winter Escape is 28-1 for the County Hurdle with Sun Bets

“It is not an ideal preparation, having not run since November, but we had no option.

“We had high hopes at the start of the year, but he was pretty sick after the Greatwood and it has took a long time to get him back.

“The weights will go up a fair bit, I imagine, but he looks like he will get in.”