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Nicky Henderson hails Champ’s courage on his comeback in Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle – with win making him the 4-1 favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
- Nicky Henderson’s horse, Champ, was victorious Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle
- The horse is now 4-1 favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival
- Henderson and owner JP McManus believe Champ has ‘had a hard time’ of late
It was only supposed to be a confidence booster after back surgery ahead of a return to steeplechasing but Champ is now 4-1 favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March after victory in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Trainer Nicky Henderson and owner JP McManus were both reluctant to make instant plans but given that Champ’s jumping has let him down at times over fences it will be a surprise if he is sent back over the bigger obstacles, even though it would be a dream result for the horse named after 20-time champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Champ’s length-and-three-quarter victory from favourite Thyme Hill with two-time race winner Paisley Park in third was a first at grade one level for his jockey Jonjo O’Neill Jnr.
Jockey Jonjo O’Neill Jnr claimed victory in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle on Saturday
It also completed a topsy-turvy 24 hours for Henderson after Buzz, who had been the ante-post favourite for the Long Walk, fractured his pelvis during a routine work-out on the gallops on Friday morning.
Henderson, who said the early signs in Buzz’s recuperation were positive, added: ‘It has been a very strange 24 hours. This was meant to be about Buzz and whether he stayed three miles until he was knocked out of…
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Source : dailymail
