Sublimity has Champion sighter

Smart novice hurdler Sublimity will bid to book his Champion Hurdle place when he has his first run of the season in the Navan Golf Club Open For Membership Hurdle at Navan on Saturday.

Fourth behind Noland in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before taking up the same position behind Iktitaf in the VC Bet Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown Festival, the former Michael Stoute inmate has been off the track for nearly 300 days.

A slight infection kept him off until now, but his handler John Carr now has him in tip-top shape ahead of his reappearance, which could lead to a tilt at the Smurfit Kappa-sponsored blue riband.

“We’ve finally found a race for him, a winners of one, and hopefully he will go and win,” Carr said.

“The heavy ground wouldn’t worry me as he won a Listed race on the Flat for me and won the Doncaster Mile for Sir Michael with cut in the ground.

“If he’s over his problem, which we think he is, and he runs to his form, he should win.

“I’ve got nothing at home I can work him with. Yesterday he virtually did a solo piece of work as he jumped off in front and went away, and last week he set off behind and cruised passed.

“We’ve got another ex-Stoute horse (Alamiyan) that is also in the race to make sure there is a bit of pace.

“If he wins well enough he will probably go straight to the Champion Hurdle as he does run very well fresh.”