Punjabi ‘ready to do himself justice’ in rescheduled Fighting Fifth
Nicky Henderson has had the race as a target for last year’s Punchestown Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi for some time and stated earlier in the week he was keen to support the decision to switch the race to Wetherby from Newcastle.
His stable jockey Barry Geraghty is due to travel north for the ride.
Sublimity is another who has been aimed at the race, with fledgling trainer Robbie Hennessy even more pleased it has been put back a week.
The gelding was back in his own stable on Saturday night after last week’s abandonment and the extra preparation is expected to have put him spot on.
“It’s obviously not ideal having to bring him over twice in one week, but he’s in good form and he came home OK. He travels very good and doesn’t take much out of himself, so he should be OK,” said Hennessy.
“I was very happy going to Newcastle, but I’m probably a little more confident this week as we have got another gallop into him. He’s a stuffy horse and needs plenty of work. I think he will do himself justice this weekend.
“If the rain hadn’t come that morning at Cheltenham (in the Champion Hurdle in March), he may have got home a bit better.
“We shouldn’t be too bad at Wetherby and the track looks straightforward enough, not as stiff as Cheltenham.
“If he wins the Fighting Fifth he will go to Kempton for the Christmas Hurdle and go for the WBX bonus. If he doesn’t (win), he will probably stay at home and go to Leopardstown.
“Tracks like Wetherby and Kempton are right up his alley. He is a Flat horse so the easier the track, the easier it is for him.
“Andrew McNamara rides on Saturday as Davy Russell is in Navan and can’t get out of it,” he told Racing UK.
However, Harchibald, a dual winner of the race, will not be travelling over from Noel Meade’s yard.
Harper Valley and Beau Michael will come over from Ireland with Sublimity while Arcalis, a former Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner, and Swinton Hurdle winner Blue Bajan complete the field.
Wetherby is currently under snow but conditions are expected to improve significantly, according to clerk of the course Jonjo Sanderson.
“We are covered in snow at the moment as it came down on and off between 4am and 9.30am. It’s not snowing now and we’ve got some light rain,” said Sanderson.
“The temperature is set to rise this afternoon and tomorrow is supposed to be a much better day with a bit of sunshine which is what we need. It’s just a bit of a waiting game now and we need a bit of good luck.
“Where the grass is a bit long you can still see it peaking through but there is no way in the world we would have raced today. It’s melting now though.
“We were good to soft but once all this has thawed, I would say it would be pretty much soft all over and we’ll see what happens overnight.”
