Champion Hurdle Musings

16 December 2009

It was a long wait but Punjabi finally got back to the track for the Boylesports Hurdle on Saturday. As expected, his encouraging home work did not quite translate to winning form, the six-year-old fully living up to trainer Nicky Henderson’s prediction that he would be fitter for the run.

Not that Barry Geraghty was quite so sure during the race as he cruised upsides Celestial Halo after two out. “At that point there was really only one winner” as he told us afterwards, “but then he blew up”.

Evidence of that was easy to detect in the fourth spot of the unsaddling enclosure as Punjabi’s heavy breathing continued until the horses left and for another 25 minutes after according to the trainer.

Barry had told a similar tale after Wincanton last February when Punjabi reappeared after his fall at Kempon ended his WBX sponsored £1 million attempt. Then it was “I knew he needed it, but turning in he was galloping all over them”, before his eventual third to Ashkazar. “That’ll put him right for Cheltenham”, he said then - and it did.

On Saturday Barry raved about his jumping and how well he went, suggesting he may even have improved, so I won’t be anticipating Khyber Kim, Celestial Halo or Medermit beating him again when they undoubtedly meet once more.

Once again, it was a case of one (Celestial Halo) of the top hurdlers following a run to suggest favouritism for next March, to be beaten by less-fancied animals.

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle had produced an unexpected winner in Go Native, twice well behind Hurricane Fly in Ireland last season, but victorious in the Supreme Novice at Cheltenham, narrowly beating Saturday’s staying-on third Medermit.

Khyber Kim, a 106-rated Flat racer, had been very inconsistent until putting together the wins in the Greatwood Hurdle, ahead of Harry Tricker and Medermit, and then the Boylesports.

If he continues to progress, then it is hard to say he could not make the final step to a full field Grade 1, and so far Nigel Twiston-Davies has undoubtedly done a great job.

The horse that really took the bookmakers’ attention however was the grey Zaynar, who made it five out of five over jumps when taking the two and a half mile Relkeel Hurdle. That confirmed the Henderson yard will have three candidates next March, with Zaynar joining Punjabi and Binocular.

Odds of 1-5 suggested it would be a bit of a cakewalk and so it proved, even though Cape Tribulation offered spirited opposition until the grey’s galloping ability came into play going to the last flight.

As at Ascot, we learned that Zaynar stays well. Whether his trainer will please the jockey (Geraghty) and take him for a two-mile race to reveal whether he is quick enough for a minimum-distance championship. To date, it looks clear he will be a major factor.

Binocular is lined up for the Christmas Hurdle, probably not delighting connections of his Newcastle conqueror Go Native, and victory there for J P McManus’s five-year-old, as well as ending the Go Native bonus dream, would put him back on target.

With Hurricane Fly set hopefully for Leopardstown for his re-establishment after defeat by Solwhit at Punchestown, the picture could hardly be less clear. As for the Punjabi camp, we’re happy to remain under the radar. Maybe the Welsh Champion at Ffos Las on Jan 9 could kick-start his Cheltenham repeat build-up.

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