Ultima the top option for Kempton star Katate Dori

Sam Thomas would prefer to run his impressive Kempton winner Katate Dori in the Ultima Handicap Chase at Cheltenham out of his three Festival entries.

The Dai Walters-owned seven-year-old led his rivals a merry dance in the valuable Ladbrokes Trophy on Saturday, coming home 15 lengths clear under Charlie Deutsch.

Thomas’ go-to jockey Dylan Johnston had chosen to ride stablemate Our Power, who finished third.

Katate Dori also holds entries in the revamped National Hunt Chase over three and three-quarter miles as well as the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup for amateur jockeys, but it is the prestigious handicap on the first day of the meeting Thomas has his eye on.

There is one stumbling block, however, he is currently 37th on the list and a maximum of 24 can go to post.

“He’s been fine since and if he gets in, I’d like to run him in the Ultima. He needs a few to come out still but with several above him having multiple entries, that is a possibility,” said Thomas.

“That’s the way I’m thinking because watching him last week, he didn’t look like a horse who wanted to cover an extra five furlongs, which he would have to in the National Hunt Chase.

“To me, he looked very happy being ridden forward, enjoying himself, so if we had the choice, that would be the way we’d like to go.

“If we could get him in there on a nice low weight, I think that would be preferable to trying to get him to stay in the novice race, so it would be the Ultima first choice, or failing that the Kim Muir.”