Noble makes Elite bid
Philip Hobbs believes Noble Request will benefit from the run when he makes his seasonal reappearance in the £1 Million totetentofollow Elite Hurdle at Wincanton tomorrow.
The five-year-old ended the last campaign in tremendous form winning the Scottish Champion Hurdle and the Betfred Million Hurdle.
Connections have high hopes for the gelding who is a best-priced 16-1 for the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.
“He’s in good order. Obviously it’s a competitive race and I expect he’ll need the run, but he’s fine anyway,” said Hobbs.
Noble Request’s six rivals are headed by Desert Quest who beat Hobbs’ charge by two and a half lengths in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The six-year-old, trained by Paul Nicholls, was an impressive three-length winner from Caracciola at Ascot last Saturday and makes a quick reappearance.
Royal Shakespeare is reported to be in fine shape by his trainer Steve Gollings as he tries to repeat last year’s win.
“Royal Shakespeare is just as primed for the race as he was last year, but it looks tougher this time,” said Gollings.
“We were going to take him to Catterick but the ground was so bad we couldn’t risk him on it. It wasn’t a consideration,” the Louth trainer continued.
“We took him to Market Rasen instead. Clerk of the course Nick Patton and his staff were kind enough to allow us to do the same thing at our local track.
“Tom Scudamore came down to ride him and he worked with a horse we think a lot of, Indian Pipe Dream, who used to be with John Gosden.
“It brought the spark back to Royal Shakespeare which he doesn’t have at home. We were delighted with him, so it’s fingers crossed.
“I think he’ll get proper ground tomorrow. He’s a different horse when he gets ground conditions in his favour.”
Faasel, who was runner-up to Noble Request at both Ayr and Sandown in the spring, tries again.
“He’s a big, laid-back sort of a lad but he’s as fit as I can get him at home.
“Hopefully he’ll improve as the year goes on,” his trainer Nicky Richards told Racing UK.
