Binocular and Solwhit Head Entries for WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle

26th November 2009

Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular and second favourite Solwhit head a top class field of seven for the 2009 WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle.

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the first leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown which takes in the three Grade 1 2m hurdle races run in Britain each season: The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Any horse that wins these three races in the same season will land connections a £1 million bonus.

Last year’s WBX Hurdling Triple Crown saw what has been dubbed the most expensive fall in history, with Punjabi’s fall in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton costing connections £1 million.

The £1 million bonus for winning the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown sees £700,000 awarded to the owner, £150,000 to the trainer, £100,000 to the responsible stable lad or lass and £50,000 to the remainder of the stable.

The 2009 running of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle will carry total prize money of £100,000, making it the most valuable renewal of the race to date.

In addition, the race has been brought forward almost two hours from when originally scheduled to 13:50(GMT) to help ensure fresh ground for the Grade 1 feature.

Go Native was the first to arrive at Newcastle at 7am today with Solwhit reaching the track a couple of hours later ahead of the big race. The remainder of the five-strong Irish raiding party are expected later on Thursday.

Iain Turner, PR and Sponsorship Manager for World Bet Exchange said, “I am over the moon with the quality of field for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle. The support we have received from Ireland has been a feature of the race since WBX.COM took over sponsorship in 2006 and I would like to place on record my thanks to connections of all the horses.

The seven strong field have an average official rating of 159 and the strength of the race is indicated by the fact that the lowest rated horse in the field won the Supreme Novices` Hurdle last season and has a mark of 147.

Ever since Binocular and Solwhit have been confirmed runners we have seen plenty of interest in the “Will It Be Won?” market. ‘Yes’ has been backed from an opening price of 30 into a current 12, with most of the money matched at 25, whilst ‘No’ has drifted from 1.03 to 1.08. There has already been over £137,000 wagered on the market.

I think we are set for a fantastic renewal and all that is left for me to say is may the best horse win!”

WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle

2131/4- Al Eile (Ire) 9 M A Ryan John Queally
21/113- Binocular (FR) 5 John P McManus N J Henderson
33084-6 Blue Bajan (IRE) 7 Dr John Hollowood Andrew Turnell
211-412 Go Native (Ire) 6 Docado Syndicate Noel Meade
/1211-1 Solwhit (Fr) 5 Top Of The Hill Syndicate C Byrnes
2/2140- Sublimity (Fr) 9 W Hennessy Robert Alan Hennessy
1/420-7 Won In The Dark (Ire) 5 Gerard V Crehan Sabrina J Harty

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