Hillcrest ruled out for a second season as connections give him more time to recover from leg injury

The hugely exciting Hillcrest has been ruled out for a second successive season to give him more time to recover from the leg injury he suffered last autumn.

Henry Daly’s giant eight-year-old was pulled up when favourite for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival on his last run but had previously won four novice hurdles, including a Grade 2 at Haydock, by eight lengths, and a Listed race at Cheltenham.

He had been set for a novice chasing campaign last season before he was found to be suffering from heat in a leg, and Mick Meagher, racing manager to Hillcrest’s late owner Trevor Hemmings, and Kathryn Revitt, group chief executive of Hemmings’ businesses, have decided to wait another year before bringing him back into training.

Revealing the news to the Racing Post, Daly said: “He’s absolutely fine, walking and trotting at home with Mick, but quite rightly Mick and Kathyrn are being very cautious. There’s no harm to wait for another season.”

Henry Daly: trainer of HillcrestCredit: Edward Whitaker

The abundance of caution comes as a result of Hillcrest being such a huge horse, at more than 18 hands, and the associated injury problems with a horse of that size.

“I saw him six or eight weeks ago and he looks fantastic,” said Daly, “but the problem is that he’s such a big horse.”

The trainer remains excited about the prospect of Hillcrest embarking on his chasing career as a nine-year-old next year, adding: “You can never be wrong for waiting.”

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