Fighting Fifth Reflections

1 December 2009

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle might have thrown up as many questions as answers on Saturday, but one incontrovertible fact is that only Go Native is in line for the firm’s £1 million bonus for winning three Grade 1 hurdle races.

Much was made of the slow pace of Saturday’s race, but as J P McManus so sportingly and realistically noted afterwards, reflecting on Binocular’s disappointing return to action: “It was the same for all of them”.

Sometimes, for members of the press, when dealing with performances of the acknowledged leaders in their field, there is a tendency towards over-glossing. For a year since his demolition of Celestial Halo at Ascot, Binocular has been the horse that takes the attention.

But he has appeared just twice since, running a very close third in the Champion Hurdle behind stablemate Punjabi and previous victim Celestial Halo in a thriller up the hill. Celestial Halo could not stretch to two and a half miles, therefore finishing well behind Solwhit at Aintree, but has reappeared with a bang.

Solwhit looked to have had the momentum and was my pick for Saturday’s race, but in the slowly-run affair, he did look one-paced. Had it not been very heavy on his comeback at Punchestown when he clipped Hurricane Fly’s classy wings, having narrowly beaten Punjabi on similar ground on the same track back in May?

Go Native certainly looked the part, and went to Newcastle with plenty of Noel Meade stable confidence. This looks a very different animal than the stable’s talented but highly-quirky star Harchibald, but while he was good enough to win the Supreme Novices’ at the Cheltenham Festival, he has twice failed since.

So it’s hard to see any horse with watertight claims, unless you look at the third Henderson horse and least experienced – the five-year-old Zaynar. Unbeaten in three hurdles including the Triumph last season, he reappeared in the Ascot Hurdle over an extra three furlongs and won unchallenged from the older Karabak to whom he conceded 2lb.

The Triumph form looks exceptional with presently-sidelined Walkon following his second there with a sensational display at Aintree. Starluck was the line to both lots of form and it would have been even more interesting had Alan Fleming’s horse not emptied late when looking an assured winner at Haydock.

Zaynar has clearly thrived over the summer, but it is an interesting fact that the Aga Khan-bred failed to win in three runs in France, even finishing second at Les Sables d’Olonne, better known for its beaches than hippodrome, over a 1mile 3/4.

Back to two miles for Cheltenham, would he have the toe? Well, he has hardly looked slow and he, alone of the contenders, has the winning habit par excellence.

Hurricane Fly, Binocular and now Solwhit have been shown to be less than impregnable, while we wait with interest to see how Punjabi will go when he tackles old rival Celestial Halo on Saturday week at Cheltenham. The easiest thing to say at this stage is its wide open. But after the Bula, the Christmas Hurdle, in which Starluck and probably Blue Bajan will attempt to prevent Go Native a clear shot at the million, and Leopardstown on Dec 29, it should all become much clearer.

For us, we can still remind ourselves that Punjabi is the champ, and hopefully he will be ready for his re-match with Celestial Gold and whoever else turns up on December 10.

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