Carberry confident of bold Sublimity bid

PHILIP Carberry believes Sublimity is still in with a chance of regaining his Champion Hurdle crown after two solid performances this season.

Having won the big one at Cheltenham in 2007, his only other victory since came in the December Festival Hurdle at Leopardstown last season. He disappointed in last year’s Champion and was sent for an operation on his breathing, which appears to have worked having finished second in both the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and the Leopardstown race he won last campaign.

“I was delighted with him in Leopardstown. I’d say the ground just took that little bit of sting out of him, that finishing speed,” said his big-race pilot. “He came out of his race well, I saw him the next morning and he was well and if we get a bit of nice ground in Cheltenham we’ll hope for a good run.

“He’s done very well this season, I’m delighted with him and we are still in with a chance of regaining the crown. We’ve been happier with him this season than we have for a long time – since his breathing operation, he’s been well in himself and he’s got no obstacles in his way.

“He’s was having a problem breathing in his races, but that has gone now and he seems to be more consistent,” he told At The Races.