Oscar Whisky in for the Cleeve Hurdle
The eight-year-old Irish bay gelding, Oscar Whisky, has been impressive in the two outings of the hurdle season and has missed the Centaur Hurdle at the beginning of the New Year due to extreme weather. The race was extended to two and a half miles at Cheltenham. The Nicky Henderson trained has now been pointed for the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham for 26th January.
"Plans have changed dramatically, losing the race at Cheltenham over his favourite trip which is two and a half," Henderson told.
"I'm still not convinced about last year's World Hurdle. He would not have won at two and a half and that is what confuses me. I don't think he was right.”
"He was punch drunk at the end of it, he couldn't stand up. What was amazing about him was to come back in time for Aintree. Our main objective is a third Aintree Hurdle, but I'm still not going to lie down about this three-mile bit and if it was soft ground a lot of people would say go Champion Hurdle.”
Oscar’s bay gelding closed the previous season with a success in the Grade 1 John Smith’s Aintree Hurdle on 14th April, 2012 at Aintree over two miles and four furlongs.
Under the expert navigation skills of jockey, Barry Geraghty, he defeated Thousand Stars by a negligible neck’s margin.
Keeping up with the set momentum, the bay gelding landed the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle at the dawn of the new season on 24th November, 2012 at Ascot over two miles and 3 ½ furlongs.
The favourite entry cornered the Alan king trained, Raya Star, into the second position.
The unprecedented success and the supreme form continued in the Grade 2 Osborne House Relkeel Hurdle on 15th December, 2012 at Cheltenham over two miles and 4 ½ furlongs.
This time the victim of Oscar Whisky’s stardom was the Tom George trained, Crack Away Jack, who was left at bay by nineteen lengths.
His last falling back point was in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but even that defeat fails to waver the confidence of the connections in the ability of the under charge.
How will he perform in his debut at three miles will answer a lot of questions and will also fill in many loop holes.
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