Another top Cheltenham contender will be put through his paces at

Another top Cheltenham contender will be put through his paces at Huntingdon today. Looks Like Trouble, the 2000 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, will have a gallop after the last race.The Noel Chance-trained nine-year-old, unraced through injury since winning at Down Royal 14 months ago, will have a thorough test in a two-mile workout with a stable-companion. “This will be real work ­ he’s had a few at home but this will be the first on the racecourse,” Chance said yesterday. “Saturday morning will be the test of how it went, not the gallop Cold legs is what we’re looking for.

He was perfect last time.”The trainer added that he hoped Seamus Durack would be in the saddle. Looks Like Trouble is a best-priced 12-1 with Ladbrokes for the Gold Cup on 14 March.Martin Pipe’s Classified has been installed as 5-1 market leader by Coral for the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.The six-year-old landed the Challow Hurdle at Newbury last time out and is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles. Irish hope Like-A-Butterfly, who runs in the Istabraq colours of J P McManus, is a 6-1 chance, with Len Lungo’s The Bajan Bandit on 7-1. Fran?s Doumen’s Never, owned by Sir Peter O’Sullevan, is on offer at 8-1.A Pipe-trained horse also heads Coral’s betting on the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, with Westender quoted at 5-1. Air Marshall, a Group winner on the Flat when with Sir Michael Stoute and now with Nicky Henderson, is available at 16-1.At Wincanton yesterday, Tony McCoy was stood down following three unsuccessful rides.

Despite being bruised and battered, and nursing stitches in the back of his head as the result of falls of Newbury 24 hours earlier, he went to the Somerset track.But after his third attempt in the saddle aboard third-placed Dunster Castle, McCoy complained of not feeling too well. On being examined by Dr Paul Philips, the course doctor, the champion jockey was stood down for the remainder of the meeting. McCoy said he would see how his neck felt this morning before deciding whether to ride at Huntingdon or not.. Mervyn King came out on top in an Embassy World Championship quarter-final classic at the Lakeside Country Club last night, knocking out the tournament favourite, Raymond Barneveld, with a nail-biting 5-3 victory. Barneveld fought back, a 156 check-out by the former postman could not stop King from moving 4-1 up and in the next set King could have closed out the match by hitting the bull on a 170 out-shot.The world No 5 Barneveld took advantage and, now in top gear, the former champion clawed his way back to 4-3 as his opponent began to feel the pressure.But before Barneveld could take the match to a decider, King hit a 131 check-out to edge over the winning line..