Binocular trained to peak at Cheltenham
Connections of reigning champion hurdler Binocular have dropped a thinly veiled hint that their horse is being trained with one race in mind, and that is the Champion Hurdle itself back at the Cheltenham Festival on March 15, writes Elliot Slater.
Binocular is a notoriously lazy worker at home and as he gets older is taking plenty of getting fit, a fact evidenced by his defeats first-time out in both the last two seasons. On neither occasion did he run badly, he just ran as though the outing would bring him on. With the desperately cold winter and the suspension of full training by most yards around the country during mid-December, it comes as no surprise that the Henderson team has hinted that whatever their charge does at Kempton in the rescheduled Christmas Hurdle on January 15, it is the big race and no other that occupies their thoughts from now on.
“He’s a burly boy and takes a fair bit of work,” was the observation of Tom Symmonds, Nicky Henderson’s assistant trainer. Speaking to At The Races he added: “The boss is not one who is going to ready them so much at home that they are going to be fighting fit in November when March is the target.”
Those who have been considering supporting the horse, who is 2/1 favourite for the Kempton feature in the Cheltenham betting , might be wise to bear Symmonds’ comments in mind, but that is not to say that he still won’t be good enough to win. It is also worth noting that Symmonds went on to observe that the seven-year-old had for a long time been considered unsuited by a stiff two miles, but as he has matured it is now clear (as he proved in the Champion Hurdle 12 months ago), that he stays every yard of the trip and is suited by a steep uphill finish – something he certainly won’t find at Kempton.
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