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Racing News |
Punjabi Heads Entries for WBX.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle
11/11/09
Reigning Champion Hurdler Punjabi heads 25 entries for the 2009 running of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, on Saturday 28th November, as he bids to repeat last year’s victory in the race.
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The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the first leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown which takes in the three Grade 1 2m hurdle races run in Britain each season: The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Any horse that wins these three races in the same season will be eligible for a £1 million bonus.
Last year’s WBX Hurdling Triple Crown saw what has been dubbed the most expensive fall in history, with Punjabi’s fall in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton costing connections £1 million.
The £1 million bonus for winning the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown sees £700,000 awarded to the owner, £150,000 to the trainer, £100,000 to the responsible stable lad or lass and £50,000 to the remainder of the stable.
The 2009 running of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle will carry total prize money of £100,000, making it the most valuable renewal of the race to date.
Punjabi landed the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March before finishing a close second to Solwhit in the Irish equivalent at Punchestown. Punjabi had previously won the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle from Sublimity on his seasonal reappearance at Wetherby and the pair are set to renew rivalries on November 28th.
The 25 entries is a recent record for the Grade 1 feature, surpassing the 19 in 2005, and justifies WBX.COM’s decision to make it an Early Closing race for the first time.
Nicky Henderson has supplemented Punjabi’s entry with entries for last year’s Champion Hurdle third Binocular and Triumph Hurdle winner Zaynar.
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 WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle 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.”
Last season’s juveniles are represented by Starluck, so impressive in his first three runs last season before finishing fourth in the Triumph Hurdle. He has already proved his well-being with a comfortable victory against his own age group at Cheltenham in October.
Alan Fleming, the Surrey based trainer responsible for the horse said, “Haydock is the preferred option for Starluck at the moment as the race is confined to four-year-olds which at this stage would suit us better. We will swerve Haydock for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle if the ground was to come up heavy at Haydock on November 21st. These are the only options we have at the moment for his next outing.
Irrespective of where he runs next his following run will be at Kempton in the Christmas Hurdle, a track and meeting he won at last year. I don’t want to think about Cheltenham and Champion Hurdles until we get Christmas out of the way.
People spoke about last season’s juveniles at the time and said it was the hottest division ever and having seen the strength of the form this season it looks like they were right.
I couldn’t be happier with the horse and he is in great form at home. Timmy Murphy will ride him wherever he goes.”
A strong Irish entry, totalling 13, is headed by Hurricane Fly and Solwhit, trained by Willie Mullins and Charles Byrnes respectively.
Hurricane Fly is already a short priced favourite for this season’s Champion Hurdle after a superb novice campaign and he would be a fascinating participant in what is shaping up to be the race of the season so far.
Solwhit finished last season with victories in the Aintree Hurdle and the Punchestown Champion Hurdle, defeating Punjabi in the latter.
Former Champion Hurdle winner Sublimity and three-time Aintree Hurdle winner Al Eile from the yards of Robbie Hennessy and John Queally respectively are also entered. They are supplemented by four entries from Noel Meade; last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Go Native, Aitmatov, Donnas Palm and Muirhead, fifth in the 2009 Champion Hurdle. Friday’s conqueror of Go Native, Voler La Vedette has been entered by trainer Colm Murphy.
The Irish entry is completed by dual Champion Hurdle winner Hardy Eustace, Raise Your Heart, Won In The Dark and De Valira.
Robbie Hennessy said, “I’ve been delighted with Sublimity since he returned to work after a small wind operation after the Champion Hurdle.
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. If he won the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle then we would have to go to Kempton for the second leg of the bonus. Philip will ride him at Newcastle, injury permitting.
This is the same plan as last year but Philip injured himself in France the week of the race. This year I'm going to hide his passport to avoid the same thing happening again!”
John Queally said, “Al Eile has been in grand form since returning to the yard after his summer break.
The plan has always been to be to give him his first run over hurdles this season in the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle. He has come out of the November Handicap in good form and Fran 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, the eventual Champion Hurdler, back in third we know the track suits him. He also ran a great race in The 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.
As usual, the long term plan is the Aintree Hurdle where we go for a fourth win and a fifth win at the track.”
Further strength in depth comes from Cape Tribulation, trained by Malcolm Jefferson in Malton and Blue Bajan who represents Andrew Turnell.
Iain Turner, PR and Sponsorship Manager for World Bet Exchange said, "I am in a state of shock having seen the quality of the entries. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would get four Champion Hurdle winners, a Triumph Hurdle winner, the last three winners of the Aintree Hurdle, three of the first five home in last season’s Champion Hurdle, a Supreme Novices’ winner and runner-up and Hurricane Fly!
With the entries having won a combined 29 Grade 1 races this looks to be the highest quality renewal of the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle to date. I hope the majority of the horses entered stand their ground and go to post at just before 3.30pm on November 28th.
The WBX Hurdling Triple Crown offers the biggest bonus in National Hunt racing. It was so nearly won last year by Punjabi and his fall at Kempton is undoubtedly the most expensive fall in the history of National Hunt racing. Hopefully we will be crowning the first winner of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown at Cheltenham in March!
