Binocular thunders to victory in Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton
Binocular completed his preparations for next month’s Champion Hurdle by cruising to victory in the Grade 2 Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle, hosted by Wincanton on Saturday, February 18, 2012.
It was a shock appearance for Binocular, who stepped into the meeting as his stablemate, Grandouet’s replacement.
At the eleventh hour, the five-year-old, Grandouet’s name was withdrawn from the race because of an injury.
That provided Binocular a chance to have a run before going straight to the Cheltenham Festival. The eight-year-old made the best use of the opportunity and unleashed a superb show.
Under A. P. McCoy, the French gelding outclassed his old rival, Celestial Halo, not letting him fancy his chances at any moment.
After tracking the leaders early on, the eight-year-old managed to establish his dominance. He perked up his speed just before the final few fences and took an easy six-length triumph.
The 2009 Champion Hurdle winner, Celestial Halo finished second on the table. The third place went to Starluck, who fell short by a huge margin of 10 lengths.
Following Binocular’s forceful performance, the bookies were left with no option but to cut him for the mega event.
Paddy Power offered 6-1 (from 10) whereas BetVictor shortened him to 7-1 (from 8).
The rest of the bookmakers are also rating him highly for the forthcoming event.
McCoy was delighted to see Binocular demonstrating a superb show, saying that an outing before the Champion Hurdle has helped his colt regain his momentum.
He said:
"He did it well in the end. I was always wanting to make it a race to give him a good blow as he's a bit of a stuffy horse. I wanted to make sure this race put him spot-on for Cheltenham."
In 2010, Binocular won the Champion Hurdle, but unfortunately, he missed the mega event the following year.
He will aim for his second title despite the fact that it is going to be a hard battle at Cheltenham.
The rider also admitted that beating the defending champion, Hurricane Fly, will be an uphill task for Binocular.
"He responded well, but he still has plenty of ground to find with the likes of Hurricane Fly," he added.
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