Morrice magic Thursday
CHATEZ can get his Cheltenham Festival preparation back on track by returning to winning ways in the 32 Red Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle at Huntingdon on Wednesday.
FILE PICTURE: Trainer Nicky Henderson shows off Vasco Du Ronceray (L). (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Formerly a useful three-year-old handicapper on the Flat, where he plundered a valuable trial for the Britannia Handicap at Haydock, Chatez made a smooth transition to jumping by scoring on his first two outings.
Alan King then ran him in a handicap hurdle at Kempton over Christmas, but after travelling smoothly into the home straight, he went out like a light. One or two of the King horses ran under par around that time and Chatez came back with a genuine excuse.
Given time to recover from those exertions, he can take this trial for the Triumph Hurdle to put him back in the reckoning for the juvenile championship next month. Nicky Henderson sends a posse of horses to Doncaster, including Arkle Trophy candidate, Josses Hill.
The latter will start atprohibitive odds leaving Cardinal Walter as the one to be on in Div 2 of the Enjoy Ashes 2015 Hospitality with Event Masters Stallions “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle. The selection; a rare jumper for owner Fitri Hay, was 91-rated on the Flat and impressed on his debut at this course.
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