Champ headlines seven entries for the Cleeve Hurdle on Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday as Nicky Henderson’s celebrity prepares for a possible shot on the Stayers’ Hurdle.
The 3-mile tournament is a key prep tournament for the Pageant and Champ is lately the overall 4/1 second-favourite for the massive race in March after touchdown the Lengthy Stroll Hurdle sooner than Christmas.
Nicky Henderson’s price was once coming back from a long lay-off at Ascot having upset within the Cheltenham Gold Cup, however whilst the stayers’ course seems his likeliest goal he’s once more within the Gold Cup and connections tension no resolution has been made but.
Frank Berry, racing supervisor to proprietor JP McManus, mentioned: “He is able to move, Nicky’s pleased with him. Optimistically he’s going to pass there in excellent shape and we are hoping for the most productive.
“It is a really perfect prep race and expectantly all is going neatly.”
As for whether or not he is going for the Stayers’ Hurdle or Gold Cup, Berry added: “Not anything is about in stone.
“We’re going to see how he is going on Saturday and Nicky will make the decision after that.”
Paisley Park, the 2019 Stayers’ Hurdle winner, completed 3rd at Ascot for Emma Lavelle and may well be in opposition once more, in conjunction with the Rebecca Curtis-trained Lisnagar Oscar.
2019 Stayers’ Hurdle champion Paisley Park may head to the Cleeve Hurdle on Saturday
Curtis’ nine-year-old was once a surprise 50/1 winner on the Pageant in 2020 however has failed to copy that roughly shape therefore, being pulled up within the Lengthy Stroll on his most up-to-date run.
Curtis mentioned: “He is nice, clearly it wasn’t a really perfect day at Ascot, however he does appear to come back to shape from Christmas onwards and he loves Cheltenham.
“We are going to give him a run within the Cleeve Hurdle and notice how he is going there.
“If he runs neatly and turns out again to himself then we will suppose forward to March, however we will use the Cleeve Hurdle for a bit of a steering as to what we do with him subsequent.”
Lisnagar Oscar failed to complete within the Lengthy Stroll at Ascot remaining month
Relkeel Hurdle runner-up McFabulous, Dandy Magazine and Evan Williams’ pair of Dans Le Vent and Coole Cody entire the checklist of possibles, even though the latter has additionally been entered in each the Cotswold Chase and Paddy Energy Cheltenham Countdown Podcast Handicap Chase at the identical card.
Merely The Betts from Paul Nicholls’ backyard is the top-rated contender in that Grade 3 handicap, with 18 within the combine at the present.
Every other Henderson Pageant hope set to position his credentials to the check is Balco Coastal within the Ballymore Newbies’ Hurdle.
He has received every of his two begins over hurdles to this point, with Frere D’Armes, whom he beat a duration and 1 / 4 at Ludlow remaining time, therefore hacking up by means of six and a part lengths at Huntingdon.
Hillcrest is unbeaten in 3 hurdles runs for Henry Daly and is some other key identify on a listing of eleven entries having landed a Indexed race at this monitor in taste on New Yr’s Day.
A Other Sort is but to be crowned in 5 runs for Donald McCain this season, hosing up in two bumpers sooner than touchdown 3 at the jump over trees with a mean successful distance of 9 lengths.
Iceo made fairly a dash when successful by means of 17 lengths on his British debut at Kempton over Christmas and Paul Nicholls may check his claims within the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle.
The Grade Two has attracted 12 contenders with Gordon Elliott’s Pied Piper, who was once purchased for 225,000 guineas within the autumn, and Nick Williams’ Cheltenham winner Interne De Sivola additionally to the fore within the ante-post having a bet for the championship race in March.
