Solwhit to bid for Champion
Solwhit
Solwhit, one of the leading fancies for Tuesday's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, is heading for Cheltenham after scoping clean on Saturday morning.
His participation was thrown into some doubt when trainer Charles Byrnes revealed the five-time Grade One winner had started coughing earlier in the week. However, Byrnes is satisfied the six-year-old is well enough to take his chance.
"I've made a decision and he's travelling over. He scoped clean so he will travel over on Saturday night, but obviously we will be monitoring him closely," said Byrnes.
Solwhit sprang to prominence when winning the Aintree Hurdle at the Grand National meeting last year and despite being campaigned solely at the highest level since, his only reverse came in a slowly-run Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle.
Byrnes went on: "It was very strange because he didn't go off his food and looked well in himself, it was just that he was coughing. There was no virus or anything, none of the other horses have coughed, so it really is a bit of a mystery.
"Obviously it is not ideal to have something like this happen so close to the Champion Hurdle, but he seems fine now.
"He'll be monitored on the journey there and when he gets there, but the intention is to run and as long as he's 100% he will.
"He's travelling over with Pittoni (Triumph Hurdle) and Weapon's Amnesty (RSA Chase), so we've got three decent chances."
Press Association
