Native warming to Champion task

Noel Meade plans to shortly bring Go Native back to the boil for a crack at the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle – and with it the chance to grab a £1m (€1.1m) bonus.

Go Native is just one victory away from scooping the seven-figure amount for his connections after taking the first two legs of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown - the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle and the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Meade has given Go Native a quiet time since his success over the Festive period, a move that has turned out to be the right one because of the recent cold snap.

“Everything’s gone well with him. We made a decision after Kempton that we would not run him again before Cheltenham,” the Navan trainer told At The Races.

“He’s had a quiet time since Christmas, so the weather didn’t affect him.

“He’s in good form and in another couple of weeks he’ll start his build-up for Cheltenham.

“It’s quite exciting having a horse competing for a million quid.”

Go Native is a general 6-1 shot for the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on March 16.