Camping Ground turns on style at Cheltenham

Robert Walford saw his decision to put chasing ambitions on hold and abort an attempt at the King George with Camping Ground vindicated with a dominant success in the Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham.

With plans to run in Kempton’s Grade One St Stephen’s Day showpiece scrapped following the six-year-old’s mid-race tumble in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon last month, the Blandford handler watched on with delight as his ‘plan B’ unfolded to great effect.

Cole Harden, on his first Cheltenham start since lifting the World Hurdle in March, adopted his customary front-running role in the Grade Two contest, before being passed by the eventual winner over three out into an advantage he was not to surrender.