All roads leads again to the Champion Hurdle for Structure Hill after he survived a hair-raising mistake on the last flight to seal victory within the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s secure star was nothing in need of sensational when claiming Champion Hurdle glory in 2023, however was unable to defend his crown final time period following well-documented well being issues.
Nevertheless, having proved his skill stays very a lot intact with a profitable defence of the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on his Boxing Day comeback, Henderson determined to show the eight-year-old out a month later for Pageant Trials day and he was a prohibitive 1/12 probability to dispatch of 5 inferior rivals.
After initially taking a lead off Brentford Hope, Nico de Boinville felt the tempo was too sedate for Structure Hill heading down the again straight and allowed him to stride on leaping the fourth impediment.
He didn’t see one other horse from there residence and whereas the packed grandstands gasped when he paddled by the ultimate impediment, it did little to cease his momentum as he cruised up the hill beneath his immobile rider to attain by three lengths.
Brentford Hope boxed on to complete a transparent second, with Spirits Bay again in third.
De Boinville admitted to ITV Racing: “My heart was in my mouth, he was doing everything so easily, but he found a leg and is hardly blowing. I’m delighted with him, just angry at myself more than anything.”
“He was just half-asleep. I’d say if I’d woken him up after the second-last you’d be going forward, but he was doing it so easy. I just said to the boss we’re going to have to work him next week because he’s had an easy time of it there.
“He’s particular, as I’ve all the time stated he is a horse of a lifetime and all the things went to plan bar the final.
“He felt as good as ever. I don’t know if he can be better, but he was good.”
Henderson stated: “I’m pleased he ran today because Nico said he was so fresh and with no disrespect to the others, he said he hasn’t done anything there and I need to work him tomorrow – so I think he’s coming in to ride him!
“He got here out of Kempton so a lot better and faster than I assumed he would and my first response was ‘we do not have to undergo all that once more till March’. However every week later he was simply filled with it. I did wait till final week earlier than I dared stick my head up and say we’d run as a result of I did not need to tempt destiny, however he is simply been sensible all through. It is practically been too easy.
“He deserves this bit of luck, Michael (Buckley, owner) deserves this bit of luck and we all deserve the luck, but we’re here now and we’ve got four or five weeks to play with and apparently I need to keep working him.”
He went on: “Michael thinks he has probably toughened up a bit in a funny way and he’s enjoyed it. I haven’t watched the last hurdle yet, but I probably don’t want to!
“It was fairly a good suggestion to get a mistake out the best way earlier than March and it will not train him something clearly. It is the primary time we have seen him do something like that, however when you bear in mind he was very lengthy within the Champion Hurdle a number of years in the past and now he is determined to do it the opposite means. He simply wasn’t doing a lot and it was possibly slightly little bit of boredom. I would not say he was cocky as such, however he was very very similar to ‘OK, what are we doing’.
“He’s just had a nice spin and it’s saved us a lot of galloping at home. We know where we are now and we can take it easy. As much as Nico says work him tomorrow, he will have a quiet week and then we will start the engines up again and prepare for the invasion.
“It will likely be attention-grabbing to observe Leopardstown subsequent weekend. Gordon (Elliott) has informed me he isn’t going to run the mare (Brighterdaysahead) once more earlier than March so we cannot get any clues about her, however Willie (Mullins) could have a number of up his sleeve.
“Gordon’s mare looked very good and we know there is Lossiemouth and State Man, so we can’t just drop our guard. Our job now is just to get there and if we can get there in the form he is in today we will go with big hopes.”
