Chasing form could come to fore in an Elite Hurdle with plenty of question marks

3.00 Wincanton
Unibet Elite Hurdle (Grade 2) | 1m7½f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

If you look at the top eight in the Champion Hurdle market only Epatante and Goshen are trained in Britain and it probably says plenty about the lack of strength in depth among British hurdlers that the best form in this Grade 2 hurdle has been achieved over fences.

Using Racing Post Ratings over the last 12 months as a guide, Sceau Royal is out on his own in terms of pure ability and his best figure came in a chase. His second behind Altior in the Game Spirit at Newbury in February was good enough for an equal career-high RPR of 168.

That is 5lb higher than the next best figure in this race and that was also achieved over fences by Diego Du Charmil at Ascot a year ago. So will chase form prove the key?

Diego Du Charmil: a familiar face over fences is now back over hurdlesCredit: Edward Whitaker

Even if you take away the chase form, Sceau Royal leads the way on hurdles figures, too.

He returned to this discipline in the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las last time and dished out a comfortable beating to his 12 rivals, recording an RPR of 156. That is only 1lb lower than his career-best figure over hurdles, so it’s fair to say that he made a smooth transition.

That rating is 6lb better than Diego Du Charmil has achieved over hurdles and Sceau Royal looks the likely winner of the battle between the chasers plying their trade back over hurdles.

But what about the specialist hurdlers?

Solo achieved an RPR of 145 when winning the Adonis at Kempton last season. That gives him 11lb to find with Sceau Royal on hurdles form and it’s notoriously difficult for four-year-olds going up against their elders at this stage of their career. It’ll be even tougher for Solo because he has to concede 3lb to Sceau Royal and Diego Du Charmil to boot.

Master Debonair also has a best figure of 145, courtesy of his win at Ascot last December, but he faces the same problem as Solo in that he has to carry a penalty for that victory.

He is a couple of years older than Solo and that might help, but it’s a big ask for a hurdler just out of their novice career to give weight and a beating to seasoned campaigners like Sceau Royal and Diego Du Charmil. So maybe this will be one hurdle where chase form proves key.
Analysis by Graeme Rodway

Sceau Royal enjoying new lease of life

Sceau Royal has spent much of the last two years enduring a rear view of the likes of Altior and Defi Du Seuil in top two-mile chases but could enjoy a new lease of life now he has reverted to hurdles.

The high-class eight-year-old finished sixth in the 2017 Champion Hurdle behind Buveur D’Air and landed this race earlier that season by nine lengths from Rayvin Black.

After failing to fire in the Queen Mother Champion Chase won by Politologue in March, Sceau Royal underwent wind surgery and his trainer Alan King sent him back hurdling for his seasonal reappearance.

He duly delivered a fine performance under 11st 6lb in the Welsh Champion Hurdle to beat Ballyandy by two and three-quarter lengths, and bids to follow up in a race which lacks the exciting Goshen – not declared by Gary Moore after providing an unsatisfactory scope this week.

That Ffos Las success represents strong handicap form, and King said: “I was thrilled with the way he won the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las and we may well stay over timber for the time being.

“He has shown before that he is not far off the best when he gets decent ground and he looks like getting those underfoot conditions at Wincanton.”

Many of Sceau Royal’s defeats over fences came on unsuitably soft terrain, and he will find the forecast good ground at Wincanton very much in his favour.

Solo canters clear in the Adonis Juvenile Hurdle at Kempton, shortening to 5-1 for the Triumph HurdleCredit: Edward Whitaker

“He can’t go a yard when places like Sandown get soft or heavy but he’s shown elsewhere that he’s not far off the best of them and a wind op may just have eked a bit of improvement.

“He’s still only eight, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Such was the impression made at Ffos Las that Sceau Royal is likely to be sent off hot favourite to give his rider Daryl Jacob a fifth Elite Hurdle success.

He will have to contend with the Paul Nicholls-trained Solo, who created such a stir when making a winning debut for the Ditcheat stable at Kempton in February.

What they say

Colin Tizzard, trainer of Master Debonair
Hopefully he’ll be able to improve a few pounds on what he showed last season. He’s quite a promising horse. He came back from Ascot stiff all over after finishing third in February, and his two runs before that were massively impressive. Two miles round Wincanton will be ideal for him.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Solo and Diego Du Charmil
Solo ran very well at Kempton, but things just didn’t happen for him at Cheltenham in the Triumph. He’s been gelded, we’ve given him lots of time, and he is ready to run. I’ve also left Diego Du Charmil in there as he loves good ground and there’s not a lot for him at the moment. He’s in good shape, and must be in with a shout.
Reporting by Richard Birch

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