Punjabi chasing hurdle bonus

Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi heads 25 entries for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 28 as he bids to repeat last year’s victory.

Those two races plus the Christmas Hurdle make up the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown which carries a £1m (€1.1m) bonus for connections.

The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding went agonisingly close last year when he fell at the second-last in the Kempton race.

The Seven Barrows handler has also put Champion Hurdle third Binocular and Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar in the Newcastle feature, which carries £100,000 (€110,000) in total prize money for the first time.

Tony Stafford, racing manager to Punjabi’s owner Raymond Tooth said: “Punjabi’s plans, fitness permitting, are set in stone.

“Even if – God forbid – he does not repeat his Fighting Fifth triumph, I’m sure he’ll still go to Kempton again on his way to Cheltenham, with Wincanton again before and Punchestown after.

“We fully endorse the fact that Binocular and Zaynar also have every right to try for the big bonus, but they probably have alternative programmes.”

Sublimity, winner of the 2007 Champion Hurdle, finished second to Punjabi last year when bad weather forced the race to be switched to Wetherby and he is being primed for a rematch.

“I’ve been delighted with Sublimity since he returned to work after a small wind operation after the Champion Hurdle,” said trainer Robbie Hennessy.

“We took him to Fairyhouse yesterday for a schooling race where the bottomless ground will have been completely against him.

“However, it enabled him to have a really good blow afterwards and should help get him spot on for the race which is now a little over two weeks away.

“Although he has never raced at Newcastle, the track shouldn’t pose any problems for him and he did have a gallop on it last year before the frost arrived.”

A strong Irish entry also includes Al Eile, who was second to Harchibald two years ago.

“Al Eile has been in grand form since returning to the yard after his summer break,” said trainer John Queally.

“The plan has always been to be to give him his first run over hurdles this season in the Fighting Fifth.

“He has come out of the Irish November Handicap in good form and Fran (Berry) just looked after him late on in the race, where the ground was completely against him.

“Having finished second in the race to Harchibald with Katchit back in third, we know the track suits him.

“He also ran a great race in the Northumberland Plate in 2007 when fourth on unsuitable soft ground. Hopefully they don’t get too much rain and we will head to Newcastle to take our chance.”

Harchibald’s trainer Noel Meade has four possibles this time in Go Native, Aitmatov, Donnas Palm and Muirhead while the Willie Mullins-trained Hurricane Fly, ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle is also among the Irish contingent.