Thrilling newbie hurdler Hillcrest has been pleasurable connections in more training periods with Olympic gold medallist Laura Collett.
The towering Hillcrest, who sports activities the colors of the past due Trevor Hemmings, landed the Grade Two Status Newbies’ Hurdle on his closing day trip at Haydock, having prior to now misplaced his unbeaten document when unseating Richard Patrick after being hampered via a faller within the Vintage Newbies’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old is entered in each the two-mile-five-furlong Ballymore Newbies’ Hurdle and the Albert Bartlett over 3 miles at subsequent week’s Cheltenham Competition, with instructor Henry Daly admitting the shorter race is all however dominated out.
Whilst the handler is unsure as as to if Hillcrest will flip up at Prestbury Park in any respect, having run – and received – on February 19, he has been happy that the extra training periods with most sensible eventer Collett have given him extra revel in.
Hillcrest schooled smartly at Downton Stables on Tuesday below Patrick, and Daly stated: “He’s wonderful. It was once a just right consultation.
“He did some training at Laura’s closing week and the week sooner than. Whether or not it has helped his leaping or now not, the evidence of the pudding can be within the consuming. However he schooled well the previous day and we’re more than happy with him.”
The Shropshire instructor is conserving his choices open sooner than deciding which possibility Hillcrest will take in.
He added: “We’ve not determined but. Much more likely it is going to be Albert Bartlett, if we pass there. Cheltenham, as I have stated, is not the be-all and end-all with this horse. If now not, it is going to be Aintree (Sefton Newbies’ Hurdle), we simply have not made that call.
“Whichever race, regardless of the go back and forth, it’s like any the ones issues, this is a championship race and none of them are simple.
“We can decide against the top of the week. I can have a talk with Mick (Meagher, racing supervisor) and spot how we pass.”
