racing_news/

Grandouet Day for Nicky Henderson
10/12/11

1 Grandouet 5/2J
2 Overturn 7/2
3 Brampour 13/2
8 ran Distances: 4l, nk, 9l
TIME 3m 57.71s (slow by 1.71s)

Grandouet staked a big claim for the Champion Hurdle with an emphatic victory in the stanjames.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Grandouet
© Racehorse Photos

The highly progressive four-year-old proved superior in a quality field as he provided the middle leg of a big-race treble for trainer Nicky Henderson and jockey Barry Geraghty, completed by Quantitativeeasing and Oscar Whisky.

The ultra-game Overturn set off in front in customary fashion, but Grandouet (5-2 joint-favourite) moved menacingly to land fractionally in front at the final flight and bounded up the hill in impressive style, scoring by four lengths, with Brampour another neck away third.

Geraghty said: "I was just trapped a little wide two out, I had to switch and thankfully had room. I knew he'd travel and take me there. I didn't want to get there as soon as I did, but he battled well.

"He improved all through last year and he's better than your average four-year-old going five, I'd say. He's improved an awful lot since last year. He travelled brilliantly - you don't see horses travelling much easier than that going to the last. He's very good. I never had any doubts (about going up the hill)."

Henderson added: "Today was all about finding out if he could cope with the stiff hill. He's stronger than last year, but you always think four-year-olds are going to struggle.

"We had to come here to see if he's a Cheltenham horse rather than wait for the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton, which would have been the obvious thing to do with a speed horse. I'm not tempted by the Christmas Hurdle, I think I'll give him a bit off time off and he'll have one race before the Champion Hurdle somewhere.

"Spirit Son will have a run after Christmas and Binocular is going for the Christmas Hurdle."

Overturn
© Racehorse Photos

Donald McCain said of Overturn: "It was his third run in a month, and also I think the ground was a bit dead for him today. I'm not going to make any decisions about what we will do with him now, but we know where he'll end up in March (the Champion Hurdle)."

Philip Hobbs said of fourth home Menorah: "He'd had a bit of an infected foot and had only done two serious bits of work, Richard (Johnson) felt he needed the run. However, that wasn't a Champion Hurdle performance and we will probably go back chasing with him."

Position	Horse Trainer	Jockey Weight	Starting Price Beaten Distance
1	Grandouet N J Henderson	B J Geraghty 11st 4lbs	5 - 2 Winner
2	Overturn D McCain Jnr	J M Maguire 11st 8lbs	7 - 2 4 lengths
3	Brampour P F Nicholls	Harry Derham 11st 4lbs	13 - 2 Neck
4	Menorah P J Hobbs	R Johnson 11st 8lbs	5 - 2 9 lengths
5	Sanctuaire P F Nicholls	R Walsh 11st 4lbs	14 - 1 3 1/4 lengths
6	Stormy Weather B Ellison	Danny Cook 11st 0lbs	200 - 1 24 lengths
7	Clerk's Choice O Sherwood	L Aspell 11st 4lbs	14 - 1 11 lengths
8	Pittoni C Byrnes	A P McCoy 11st 0lbs	10 - 1 23 lengths