Silsol stakes World Hurdle claim under fine Sherwood ride

With reigning champion Thistlecrack already plying his trade in another sphere, one title up for grabs at Cheltenham in March is the World Hurdle, and Silsol was the first to put down a marker for the vacant crown with a battling win in the West Yorkshire Hurdle sponsored by bet365.

Given a fine ride by the underrated Jack Sherwood, he stayed on with great gusto to beat the Hennessy-bound Native River by two and three-quarter lengths.

His rider said: "He's won a Welsh Champion Hurdle and is a proper horse. He rarely runs a bad race but got too high for handicaps."