Fighting Fifth Hurdle
Grade 1, Newcastle 14:05
£113,000 added,
4yo plus,
2m 98y, Class 1  
Saturday 28th November 2015

1 Identity Thief 6/1
2 Top Notch 9/2
3 Wicklow Brave 2/1J
7 ran Distances: nk, 10l, 16l
TIME 3m 57.80s (slow by 16.80s)

Identity Thief snatches Fighting Fifth to enter Champion Hurdle picture

Identity Thief
© Caroline Norris
Identity Thief

Supplemented into the race on Monday, Henry de Bromhead's five-year-old survived a bad blunder at the final flight to get the better of Nicky Henderson's Top Notch.

The pair set a strong gallop in the holding ground, with Ruby Walsh, visiting the track for the first time since 1997, content to sit behind on Wicklow Brave.

Daryl Jacob kicked Top Notch into a clear lead turning into the straight, with the two Irish raiders tracking him some three lengths adrift.

It was soon apparent Bryan Cooper was travelling better on Identity Thief than Walsh was, and he cruised into the lead approaching the last.

He met it all wrong, though, and Top Notch went two lengths clear again only for Identity Thief to battle back and win by a neck at 6-1.

"Bryan gave him a super ride," said De Bromhead.

"He wasn't in any rush going down the back and, bar the last flight, he was foot perfect.

"I thought he was beat but he's tough.

"That's a proper Champion Hurdle trial so we can dream about that in March but as for where he'll go before then I'd need to talk to Michael and Eddie O'Leary (owners).

"I think last year everything just happened too quickly which was why he tailed off.

"That was my first runner at Newcastle but I'll be back."

Walsh felt the tacky ground accounted for Wicklow Brave, while Nick Scholfield blamed scrappy jumping for Irving's poor display in his attempt to retain the title.

The winner was given quotes of around 20-1 for the big race in March.

Stanjames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle
£113,000 added, 4yo plus, 2m 98y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Soft

Pos D Horse SP Jockey Weight Trainer Age
1st Identity Thief (IRE) 6/1 B J Cooper
11-7
H de Bromhead 5
2nd nk Top Notch (FR) 9/2 D A Jacob
11-7
N J Henderson 4
3rd 10 Wicklow Brave 2/1j R Walsh
11-7
W P Mullins 6
4th 16 Purple Bay (IRE) 14/1 D Bass
11-7
J P Ferguson 6
5th 6 Intense Tango 50/1 Henry Brooke
11-0
K R Burke 4
6th 8 Irving 2/1j Nick Scholfield
11-7
P F Nicholls 7
7th 15 Beltor 22/1 T J O'Brien
11-7
Robert Stephens 4

Free Racing Tips