Solwhit has joined Zaynaar at 4/1 (from 11/2) with Stan James for the Champion Hurdle after his impressive victory at Leopradstown earlier today. Racing Diary were on the mark with the tips for the race.
Sublimity travelled very well but was no match for the favourite over the last but the former Champion Hurdle winner was also cut from 20s into 16s. Celestial Halo was well beaten and is 14s from 9s.
Solwhit Join Champion Hurdle Favourite
Solwhit confirmed himself a top-class horse with victory in the Toshiba Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. Celestial Halo set out to make all under Ruby Walsh but could only finish fourth and was one of the first of the principals to crack as Sublimity went on at the third-last, seemingly full of running on ground soft enough for him.
Solwhit was niggled along by Davy Russell turning for home but was soon right on Sublimity’s heels, jumping the last in front and well in command. The Charles Byrnes-trained 5-6 favourite ran on strongly for a four-and-a-half-length success over Donnas Palm, who edged the gallant Sublimity for second.
Champion Hurdle 2010 ~ Outright Ante post, (place terms: 1/4 the first 3)
4 Solwhit (from 11/2)
4 Zaynar
11-2 Go Native
8 Binocular
9 Khyber Kim
14 Punjabi
14 Medermit (from 16s)
14 Starluck
14 Voler La Vedette
14 Celestial Halo (from 9s)
16 Dunguib
16 Sublimity (from 20s)
40 Bar
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On Saturday….
Alan King’s Medermit put himself firmly in the Champion Hurdle picture after proving too strong for reigning title holder Punjabi at Haydock.
The six-year-old was a narrow second to Go Native in last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and had been placed in the Greatwood Hurdle and the Boylesports.com International at Cheltenham on his first two outings of the campaign.
Punjabi had finished eight lengths further behind in fourth in the latter contest but was widely expected to exact his revenge in the sportingbet.com Champion Hurdle Trial with fitness now on his side.
Punjabi’s stable companion Afsoun cut out much of the running in the Grade Two contest, with Barry Geraghty on the favourite and Robert Thornton on the eventual winner happy to give him some rope.
The field grouped up turning for home and while Punjabi was travelling strongly, 11-4 chance Medermit tracked his every move and took over between the final two flights.
Although Punjabi dug in, Medermit showed the superior turn of foot in the testing conditions and powered four lengths clear on the run-in.
Sky Bet cut Medermit to 14/1 for the Champion and pushed Punjabi out to 16-1 to successfully defend his crown.
King said: “We can dream now, but I’m just thrilled with today. I was very worried about the ground coming here, but he seemed to handle it well and Choc (Thornton) said he even enjoyed it.
“I wasn’t sure we would confirm the form with Punjabi from Cheltenham. The horses still aren’t right, but hopefully we are getting there and this is obviously very encouraging.
“This fellow will go straight for the Champion as he is a horse who likes to be fresh and he will be even better on better ground.”
Punjabi’s trainer Nicky Henderson was at Ascot to oversee his team in Berkshire and feels his charge should not be left out of calculations at Cheltenham in March.
“I haven’t had a chance to see the race so I can’t tell you much about it,” said the Seven Barrows handler.
“But I have spoken to the team up there and Barry has said not to worry about it and that when he gets back to Cheltenham we will see the real Punjabi.
“He wants a stiff track and a truly-run race.
“I would probably say he will go back to the Kingwell next month before Cheltenham as he does want work.”
Geraghty added: “He has run a good race, but it is Cheltenham which brings out the best in him. He likes a battle, a battle certainly suits him better.
“Take nothing away from the winner – there are six horses in the Champion Hurdle which could win it and he is definitely one of them.”
Tony Stafford, racing manager to Punjabi’s owner Raymond Tooth, said: “Barry said it wasn’t the ground that beat him. He jumped well for him but, as he says, Cheltenham suits him best.
“Nicky has his programmes marked out for his horses and I would think Punjabi will now go to Wincanton. He ran in it last year and it just fitted in nicely before Cheltenham.”
Trevor Hemmings’ racing manager Mick Meagher said of the third home Afsoun: “He has run a good race, he is a good horse but not quite Champion Hurdle class.
“We haven’t put him in the Champion Hurdle but we may put him in the County Hurdle and perhaps the Coral Cup, although I suppose he would be near top weight so we will have to see.
“If there was another Champion Hurdle trial around we would run him, we don’t really have too many options.”
