Black Jack Ketchum ‘in wonderful form’ ahead of Cleeve clash
The pair lead the betting for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Festival in March but go head to head for the first time in the Grade Two contest .
Black Jack Ketchum is unbeaten in his eight-race career to date and has yet to be seriously tested.
The one small doubt in Jonjo O’Neill’s mind, however, is his ability to act on extremely testing ground, which he is guaranteed to encounter at the weekend.
Despite those reservations, the Jackdaws Castle handler cannot wait to see his stable star in action.
“He’s in wonderful form and I’m really looking forward to running him,” said O’Neill.
“It is a tough ask for him against the likes of Inglis Drever as he is a good horse, but I couldn’t be any happier with him.
“He has won on fairly soft ground before but you never know if they’ll go on even softer until you try them.
“We will find out tomorrow.”
Inglis Drever was mixing it with the best two-mile hurdlers for a couple of seasons before his trainer Howard Johnson stepped him up to three miles for the first time when he won the World Hurdle in 2005.
The only time he has been beaten when he has raced over three miles was when he fell and suffered an injury in the Long Walk Hurdle 13 months ago.
He returned from his spell on the sidelines with a typically gutsy performance to beat Irish Wolf, who reopposes tomorrow, in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury.
Inglis Drever will be partnered for the first time by Johnson’s new stable jockey Paddy Brennan, who said: “Even though I have ridden him loads at home, it will be the first time I have ridden him in a race.
“He gives me a good enough feel at home but he just does enough. He’s not an amazing work horse.
“You would like to think that there would be a fair bit of improvement in him from his last start.
“It’s the perfect time for the pair of them (Inglis Drever and Black Jack Ketchum) to have their last race before the Festival. It’s great for racing that they have both stood their ground.
“I don’t think Black Jack has a lot to prove in my eyes – he looks very good.”
Blazing Bailey was no match for Black Jack Ketchum in the “Relkeel” Hurdle but Alan King thinks he may have some improvement left in him.
“He’s a grand, tough horse and I was very pleased with his run in the Long Walk last time as it came only a week after Cheltenham,” he said.
“I feel there could be a little improvement to come and I know we’re going to struggle to beat the likes of Black Jack but he’s well and he deserves to take his chance.
“He stayed on really well last time and I hope and think he’ll run very well tomorrow. He’s pretty adaptable really and he’d go on most sorts of ground.”
Redemption is also engaged and trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: “A lot of them have been scared off because of him (Black Jack Ketchum) so we’ll have a go to try and get some prize money.”
