Crow looks to Cheltenham date

Saturday 13th February 2010, 7:02AM GMT.

Shropshire’s Point-to-Point queen Sheila Crow is ready to have another crack at the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, 12 months after winning the blue riband with Cappa Bleu.

But she faces a race against time to get Unowatimeen to the pinnacle of the Hunter Chase field on the final day of the Festival.

The race closes on March 2 and by then Unowatimeen has to have won or been second in two Hunter Chases.

Phase 1 was completed yesterday at Bangor when the 10-year-old was beaten into second place by Vicario and it was only in the closing stages that his attempt to defy an absence of 678 days, that cost him.

Mrs Crow said: “I was very pleased with that performance. He will come on a ton for that.”

l Donald McCain had five losers during the meeting but wife Sion kept the flag flying with Vicarious – but his next date could be a the more minor surroundings of the Eyton point to point.