Evan Williams plots Aintree assault for Cappa Bleu

Cappa Bleu is likely to make his long-awaited seasonal reappearance at Aintree on Sunday.

In-form trainer Evan Williams has been itching to unleash the winner of last season's Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, having taken charge of the progressive seven-year-old this term.

But an unseasonably dry spell has meant fast ground and, despite multiple entries, Williams has been in no rush to hand the former hunter chaser his novice chasing debut.

Williams said: "It is likely that we will go to Aintree, providing there is a drop of rain. I'm very keen to get a run into him before we head to Newbury for the Hennessy Gold Cup on 28 November, but we've been hampered by the weather."

The going at the Liverpool track for the two-day meeting is officially described as good, good to soft in places, conditions that Evans feels "will be ideal if they stay that way".

Meanwhile, Ferdy Murphy says top chaser Kalahari King is set to make his return at Kelso after recovering from a minor back problem.

The trainer has earmarked a race next month for the eight-year-old, who followed up his short-head Arkle defeat by Forpadydeplasterer with victory in the Grade 1 John Smith's Maghull Novices' Chase at Aintree last April.

He said: "He's really well and has schooled superbly. Kelso has a handicap on 7 November and we'll run him there. That will determine whether we go for the Tingle Creek at Sandown or Huntingdon's Peterborough Chase.

"He tweaked a muscle in his back on his last run in April but the back specialist says he's in good shape. He's not over-big, but he's a nice prospect. I'm really pleased with him."

He added: "I've probably got the best bunch of novice chasers I've ever had."