By Andrew Atkinson

Philip Kirby trained Lady Buttons – featured in The Leader during the 2019 Cheltenham Festival – is set for a tilt at the Grade 3 Red Rum Handicap Chase at Aintree in April.

“Lady Buttons has come out of Cheltenham well and will probably go for the Red Rum over fences at Aintree,” said Kirby.

Lady Buttons finished a creditable fourth of 14 runners at the Cheltenham Festival, having won her previous four outings.

Kirby reports that the stable star Lady Buttons will switch to fences at Aintree’s Grand National meeting following her run in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, a race won by Roksana.

“She has a chase mark of 149 – high enough for any horse – but she won off 140 at Newbury in December and looked like she had plenty in hand,” said Kirby.