Harchibald in top form for Champion Hurdle
Harchibald was reported to be in “brilliant” condition as he arrived at Cheltenham today in preparation for a tilt at next Tuesday’s Smurfit Champion Hurdle.
The former ante-post favourite gave his connections a scare when working badly at Navan last weekend.
Asked how the six-year-old had been since then, trainer Noel Meade’s travelling head lad Andy Lynch told Channel 4 Racing: “Brilliant. We’re delighted with him. We sent him over today instead of tomorrow because he was in such good form, and we can get him relaxed.”
Of the poor performance at Navan, where Harchibald trailed in behind three of the the stable’s other Festival contenders, he added: “I’d say if it was a race, he wouldn’t have run him.
“It was a gluepot. At Navan, you need a two-and-a-half-mile horse for that type of ground. Other than that you’d be over the moon with him. Nothing can compare with him. He’s got a lot of gears and he’s had two wins over here.”
Harchibald was well beaten in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle at Cheltenham last year, when he led going well after the second-last but was caught on the long run to the final flight and finished fifth.
He has been ridden with restraint by Paul Carberry this season, culminating in a one-and-a-half-length victory over the front-running Rooster Booster in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.
Lynch went on: “Paul rode him in the County Hurdle last year and it was suicide what he did with him.
"It was the only time I heard Noel giving out to him. Just as long as he doesn’t leave it too late this time!”
