Horse racing news brought to you in association with GallopsLive.com.
AT FISHERS CROSS will be out to redeem his lofty reputation in this Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Rebecca Curtis’s stable star, unbeaten in six starts last season, put in a below-par performance on his seasonal reappearance at Newbury, jumping uncharacteristically badly before finishing fourth behind the rejuvenated Celestial Halo in the Long Distance Hurdle.
Paul Nicholls’s Celestial Halo will again be in opposition for this Saturday’s Grade 1 contest, a race that Curtis said was the main aim for her six-year-old, no matter what happened at Newbury.
“We were absoloutely gutted with his Newbury run”, Curtis told At The Races.
“He jumped badly the whole way around but saying that, the first two races he won last season he was always a bit sticky jumping but seemed to improve through the season.
“I think the ground at Newbury can be given as a bit of an excuse. He is much better jumping out of heavy ground and it was good ground there.
He had a few niggling problems last season and maybe that affected him as well but we think we have ironed them out again, so hopefully we will see an improved horse at Ascot this weekend.Newbury was always just going to be a prep run before the Long Walk Hurdle anyway. Thankfully he is fine and he should come on for the run.
At Fishers Cross is currently the 5/4 favourite to get his season back up and running in Saturday’s feature race, with his Newbury conqueror Celestial Halo a general 9/4 shot to confirm the form.
Last year’s winner Reve de Sivola, third at Newbury, is next best at 8/1, with the trio of Grands Crus, Irish raider Mala Beach and Salubrious all readily available at 14/1.
16/1 shots Medinas and Time For Rupert and the 100/1 outsider Tweedledrum complete the line up.
