The WBX Hurdling Triple Crown
The Hurdling Triple Crown like any other has three legs which need to be conquered in order to get entitled to the once achieved honour. The Fighting Fifth Hurdle at the Newcastle race course serves as the first leg which is followed by the Christmas Hurdle
at Kempton Park racecourse. The third and final leg is hosted at the Cheltenham racecourse, the Champion Hurdle.
To entice the connections to enter their horses in the legs and then put in all the effort for their success, the sponsor of the Triple Crown, World Bet Exchange (WBX) has offered £1,000,000 prize that is the highest in the history of hurdle racing.
Ever since an eternity now, the record of winners who win the legs are maintained as the Triple Crown itself got taken away only once. The Sir Michael Stoute trained, Kribensis, won the title in 1989-90.
No other horse could take back all the three legs of the contest to the stable and all that is left now is the contest between two out of the actual three legs. The other two horses to have come the closest were the Nicky Henderson trained, Punjabi and Go
Native (different connections).
Both the horses accomplished the honours within two years, 2008 to 2010, thusly, 2011 has gone eventless with no more closing in on the legs. 2012 too could not make much news until yet as the Fighting Fifth Hurdle winner, Countrywide Flame, does not hold
a confirmed entry in the Christmas Hurdle. The champion who has been winning the second leg of the Triple Crown since the last two years, Binocular, is not even contesting for a straight third time.
Binocular, too, is trained by Nicky Henderson.
Punjabi landed the Fighting Fifth Hurdle in 2008, he missed the Stan James sponsored Christmas Hurdle after blundering the second last flight and then made an impression in the Champion Hurdle.
His trainer commented:
"He was the forgotten horse. We'd have won a £1 million bonus if he hadn't fallen in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton. He would have won I think. He was cantering. Anyway this makes up for it.”
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