2008 Champion Winner Katchit
Category: UK Sports
Alan King is confident that 2008 Champion Hurdle winner Katchit has regained his racing form ahead of his title defence at the Cheltenham festival. The Champion Hurdle is the main showpiece race on the first day of the festival meeting on Tuesday, 10 March.
The six-year-old did not perform very well in his first three efforts of the season, but King seems to think that some of the old gusto is back ahead of March’s Festival.
Katchit has become something of a forgotten horse recently after a hugely disappointing start to the racing calendar this year. So demoralized was the trainer with the preformance of Katchit in his first three races of the season, he decided to send him away from the stable for a break.
Following his Cheltenham success, Katchit was overcome by Snap Tie at Kempton, Chomba Womba at Wincanton and then made little impact behind Champion Hurdle favourite Binocular in the Boylesports.com International.
But after spending a month with Richard Pitman, Katchit has returned to King’s Barbury Castle stable in Wiltshire in great shape and the trainer admits to being very pleased with him for the first time in months.
It remains to be seen whether Katchit can help the stable equal their success of three victories at Cheltenham last year, it remains to be seen as King concedes he has been "very impressed" by Binocular.
But he still harbours hopes that former Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Voy Por Ustedes can bring success in the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday of the festival and is upbeat about the chances of his novice hurdlers.
Regardless of what lies ahead, King has pointed out that Katchit could be raced over longer distances for the next season.
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