Go Native: likely to head for the Rabobank Champion Hurdle next month

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham  

Go Native bound for Punchestown after flop

NOEL MEADE reported Go Native to be sound on Wednesday following his disappointing performance when favourite for the Smufit Kappa Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday.

Go Native, who was chasing WBX's £1million bonus, finished tenth of 12 after being eased when beaten on the run from the final hurdle.

Meade said: "Go Native seemed fine this morning and was sound. We will have him checked out when we get home and if he is okay then I would imagine he will go to Punchestown for the Rabobank Champion Hurdle.

"Paul (Carberry) said he never felt right after making a bad mistake at the second hurdle."

Charles Byrnes, trainer of Solwhit who finished sixth in the Champion Hurdle, said: " He blew for only ten minutes after the race. He seemed fine this morning and is on his way home.

"You'd have to think that two miles and the track on pretty good ground might have had as much, if not more, to do with his performance as what happened last week when he coughed and scoped dirty.

"I've always said that on good ground two and a half miles is his ideal trip. He won't be going back to Aintree this year and we will consider Punchestown although he is more likely to get soft ground in France and we might take him there in May."