Pieces stay for Kazal World bid

Kazal will retain cheekpieces when he bids for glory in the Ladbrokes World Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.

The seven-year-old benefited from wearing them for the first time in public with a smooth victory over Aitmatov in the Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.

“We were delighted with him. He’s fine. He took it very well. He ate everything up last night and seems in good order,” said trainer Eoin Griffin.

“I think we’ll be letting him take his chance at Cheltenham. I know it’s a big step up but we’ll go there. The only thing that might stop us would be fast ground.

“I think yesterday was probably his best performance. The cheekpieces seem to have sharpened him up. Barry (Geraghty) suggested them after he rode him in Gowran the last day and felt he might benefit from it.

“It was something I’d been mulling over myself I suppose, I just needed a push and when Barry suggested it I had no problem and we stuck them on at home first.

“It’s not that he’s ungenuine. It’s just that concentration is a bit of a problem with him and they seemed to focus his mind on the job in hand.

“He travelled and jumped much better and he showed he’s not just a slogger and that he can pick it up when he needs to. He quickened up really nicely yesterday.

“The cheekpieces definitely won’t be going off now.”

Griffin also believes that Kazal will appreciate stepping up to three miles.

“I don’t the trip will be an issue to him. I’d say if anything it will probably suit him better,” the County Kilkenny-trained handler continued.

“The three miles will be right up his street and he won’t have any problem coming up the hill. He really grinds it out when he has to and I don’t see the trip being a problem.”

Kazal is 16-1 with the sponsors for the World Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 13.