Champion Hurdle Trial Preview: A new winner?

Four in a row?

It’s been a long time since the winner of Saturday's Champion Hurdle Trial went on to go close in the race itself in March (reigning champion hurdler Rooster Booster won here before finishing second in the 2004 Champion Hurdle) and things are unlikely to change this season with The New One – who reportedly has the Stayers’ Hurdle as his long-term target – heading the weight-adjusted Timeform ratings for a race he is bidding to win for the fourth successive occasion.

Though he has largely operated just below the very top level The New One has been thoroughly durable and gutsy for seven seasons now, and he put up a performance close to his best on his return when winning the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las in October (from a BHA mark of 160). He ran as well as could be expected from 3 lb higher in the weights in the Greatwood at Cheltenham next time before two second-placed efforts in the International Hurdle and the Christmas Hurdle (no match for Buveur d’Air in four-runner race in latter). He’d need to improve on his last couple of efforts to win this race again, while it’s also worth pointing out that he made hard work of landing the odds to win this race in 2015 and 2017. At his current odds, he looks worth taking on.

The challengers

Next in the betting and next on ratings is Dan Skelton’s Ch’tibello, who was returning from ten months off when finishing fourth behind My Tent or Yours (The New One second) in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham in mid-December. Ch’tibello wasn’t as well positioned as The New One in that race, however, denied a run on the rail between the last two flights and finishing with more to give, and it isn’t hard to see that form being reversed, especially as Ch’tibello was entitled to need it in terms of fitness. He has a heavy-ground win over two miles at Haydock already to his name and could yet have more to offer, only a seven-year-old and still fairly lightly raced. At odds of around 3/1, he makes appeal.

#RUKMomentOfTheDay 10-year-old My Tent Or Yours triumphs in an exhilarating Unibet International Hurdle

Watch all the finishes from Cheltenham for free in our results and replay section #TheInternational. https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/4Tzi28QZyS

— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) December 16, 2017

Clyne is another who hasn’t had a lot of racing and he is closely matched with The New One based on the Welsh Champion (second, beaten three quarters of a length). He’ll have no problem with conditions here but has been let down by his jumping on two subsequent starts since, once over hurdles and once over fences (chasing debut).

Another interesting entry is Call Me Lord, who got back on track to defy a BHA mark of 143 in good style at Sandown at the beginning of the month. Call Me Lord has only had three starts in Britain and could well make up into a graded performer in time, though he is reportedly more likely to go for the Betfair Hurdle at the beginning of February.

The other runner at a single-figure price is Agrapart, who finished a good second to Wholestone in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham last time over two and a half miles. He stayed on strongly that day (as he had done when winning the race the previous season) and the drop back to this trip – even in the likely testing conditions – probably isn’t ideal.

Conclusion

Both Clyne and Ch’tibello have been beaten by The New One already this season but the latter had definite excuses given that he met trouble/was conceding race fitness. With that in mind he looks the bet to reverse that form here and deny The New One a fourth successive win in the race.

Recommendation:

Back Ch’tibello at 3/1 for the Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock