Harry bids to land knockout blow on the big stage for Fry

Harry Fry knows what it means to saddle a Cheltenham Festival championship race winner – he was the assistant who supervised the preparation of 2012 Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby for Paul Nicholls. Now he has the chance to clinch a title in his own name with winning machine Unowhatimeanharry.

In his fifth season on his own, Fry’s best effort in a festival feature remains the second place gained by Rock On Ruby in the 2013 Champion Hurdle, but Unowhatimeanarry has dominated the staying division so impressively that his turn in the spotlight looks imminent.

Unowhatimeanharry is unbeaten in eight runs for Fry and has built on last year’s Albert Bartlett victory to add the Long Distance, Long Walk and Cleeve Hurdles this season.

In that latest start he gave former winner Cole Harden 8lb and beat him comfortably.

Fry said: “We’re looking forward to the day. He’s in good form at home and we couldn’t have asked for the season to go much better. I just hope he can turn up in similar form and if he does that he’ll be right there at the business end.

“There is pressure training good horses but we want to be training good horses and with that comes a bit of pressure. At the same time he’s far exceeded any of our expectations so the pressure doesn’t feel too great.

“We were runner-up my first season with a licence with Rock On Ruby in the Champion Hurdle in defence of his crown. That was a big day but they don’t get much bigger than this.

“He won the Albert Bartlett on good ground and is pretty versatile – you could even argue he’s better on better ground. He needs to show his A-game.”

Unowhatimeanharry

Pros Won all the right races and yet to be beaten for Fry

Cons Hard to knock but has shown best form on softer ground

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