Champion Hurdle Latest

The Champion Hurdle latest for the Cheltenham festival is that Faasel will set out his stall for the big race when he will make his seasonal debut in the Nerak Hurdle at Haydock on November 12 Nicky Richards is hoping last year's Triumph Hurdle runner-up can develop into a live candidate for the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival after his successful novice campaign. The four-year-old, who landed his first three starts over timber, only lost out by a head to Penzance at this year's Festival before going on to bolt up in a Grade One event at Aintree's Grand National meeting. "He has been back in for about six weeks and I hope by next March we can go to Cheltenham," said Richards. "Between now and then it will be a fact-finding mission to see how good he is, and he will start off in a Limited Handicap for four-year-old's at Haydock. "There aren't many options for a Champion Hurdle horse so he will probably go to the Bula after Haydock, and then to Haydock for the Champion Hurdle Trial. "We are not going to rush him and he will run a couple of times before Christmas. If it is going to be the Champion Hurdle we'll probably go to Wincanton after Haydock, and then into Cheltenham." Faasel is a best-priced 25-1 for the Champion Hurdle and Richards reports the Jim Ennis-owned gelding to have done well for his break. "He is a lot bigger. He has grown a bit, strengthened a bit and has had a good summer," he said. "With him a being a three-year-old off the Flat it has been a while since he had a good summer at grass, and I think it has done him the world of good. "Richards is also planning a chase campaign for his high-class hurdler Monet's Garden, who rounded off last term by landing the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Aintree. "He will go novice chasing and all being well, he will start off at Ayr in a two-mile race," he added. "He will go up to three miles eventually but he has got a very patient owner who will want to do what is best for the horse."

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