ANTHONY Honeyball will give Fountains Windfall a confidence-boosting run by dropping him in class on his next outing.

The eight-year-old fell for the second race in succession on his first start at the top level in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

Although keen to get the Grade Three-winning hurdler back on track, Mosterton-based Honeyball has earmarked the Reynoldstown Novices’ Chase at Ascot on February 17 a potential target should all go to plan.

Honeyball said: “Through the race he jumped well and then he got into a really good rhythm down the back straight.

“Aidan (Coleman) was getting more and more confident and he was very happy with the way he was going, then he just went.

“Maybe we are getting all the falls out of the way now and we will then probably jump poorly in a big race, get round and get our reward.

“He jumped well at Newbury and we thought we are not mad to go again at Kempton, but now I think we have got to take two steps back and get a nice run into him.

“He was bright as a button after the race, but I want to do something small, then possibly go to the Reynoldstown.

“I know we all want to go to Cheltenham, but if things don’t fall into place then we can say we will go to Aintree.”

Meanwhile, Acey Milan led his rivals a merry dance in the concluding EBF Stallions & Cheltenham Pony Club race at Cheltenham on new year’s day.

Trained by the in-form Anthony Honeyball, the recent Wincanton scorer was a 3-1 shot to follow in this Listed contest and did so in some style, dominating from the front on his way to a three-and-three-quarter-length success under Aidan Coleman.

Malinas Jack was a clear second.

Honeyball said: “He is a really straightforward horse.

“He surprised me how much he came forward from the first bumper to the second bumper.

“We felt he came on a huge amount for that. He is not a big horse that needs a lot of time.

“I think we will go to Newbury for the Listed bumper against the older horses and either put him away or if he wins that it is a month before the Champion Bumper back here in March.”