Gold Cup contender makes a surprise entry into Stayers Hurdle Gold Cup challenger Champ made a surprise entry in the 51 inclusions for the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle Chase at Cheltenham Festival.
After securing the RSA last campaign, the nine-year-old now holds an entry ahead of the Gold Cup with his trainer Nicky Henderson, who claimed he had considered sending the horse to a conditions hurdle as prep.
The race may turn out to be left for Thyme Hill and 2019 victor Paisley Park, who ended up second behind his rival in the Long Distance Hurdle but emerged as the victor in the Long Walk Hurdle, to decide the winner.
Christmas crackers: The eight Grade One races in Ireland you cannot miss
By Tom Thurgood@tdthurgood
Thu 24 Dec 2020
Shreds of wrapping paper all over the living room? Tea and turkey sandwiches? Contrived laughter from the jokes in suspect Christmas crackers?
Christmas conjures certain immediate memories for all of us and among it all is probably my favourite meeting of the year in the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. What’s not to love about four days of top-class action at Foxrock over the festive period?
There is certainly much to anticipate this year with the Grade One contests for the senior two-mile hurdlers, two-mile chasers and the staying chasers over three miles looking well up to scratch.