GORDON ELLIOTT HAS today said superstar mare Apple’s Jade will be targeted at the Unibet Champion Hurdle, just hours after connections appeared to play down the chances of her taking on dual winner Buveur D’Air at Cheltenham in March.
Speaking to Nick Luck on RTV on Sunday morning, Elliott said: “I’d prefer to get beat in a Champion Hurdle rather than a Mares’ Hurdle. Sleeping on it last night, we’d be mad not to give it a go.
“Buveur D’Air is obviously a very good horse and just does what he has to do every day, but we’ll take him on.”
The announcement by Elliott came the morning after Apple’s Jade trounced Supasundae and last year’s Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon in a superb 16-length win in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown.
Elliott added: “Up until yesterday I’d have been very nervous [about going for the Champion Hurdle] but to do what she did here yesterday was very good. She loves a battle and I think Cheltenham would suit her better than Leopardstown.”
Apple’s Jade, who finished a disappointing third in last year’s Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, is now disputing favouritism in the Champion Hurdle market with two-time victor Buveur D’Air, as short as 6-4 is some lists.
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