Connections of recent Grade 1 Coral
Future Champions Finale Hurdle winner Marsh Warbler have raised the possibility
of the four-year-old taking on older horses and bidding for the Supreme
Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, writes Elliot Slater.
Trained by the in-form Brian Ellison, Marsh Warbler followed wins in
lower grade at Bangor and Sedgefield with a tenacious performance against
highly-regarded opposition, running out a two-and-three-quarter length winner
from Houblon des Obeaux, Smad Place and former clear Triumph Hurdle favourite
Sam Winner. There was no semblance of a fluke about the victory of the gelded
son of Barathea whose odds for the JCB Triumph Hurdle were slashed as a result
of his Chepstow win, making him a 10/1 co-favourite for the juvenile hurdle
crown along with Sam Winner and Brampour and he looks one of the hottest
Cheltenham 2011 tips.
Having had the weekend to mull
over the performance of his new hurdling star, Ellison and his team have
decided to give Marsh Warbler an entry in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, the
first race on the opening day of the four-day fixture, where if the ground was
decent it would at least be fresh ground allowing Marsh Warbler to get his toe
in. Ellison made it clear that Marsh Warbler has to have some cut in the
ground, indeed the softer the underfoot conditions the better for the
four-year-old. He would not take his chance if the ground comes up on the fast
side of good and anyone thinking of betting on
Cheltenham races should remember this.
Although the
Supreme Novices' looks a tougher option with the likes of Cue Card, Zaidpour
and Minella Class among the potential opposition, Ellison believes that his
charge is getting better all the time and is amazed that Marsh Warbler appears
not to have even had a race following his Chepstow performance. He confirmed
that the gelding will be given a short break now and will not run again before
the Cheltenham Festival.
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