Harchibald lands second Christmas hurdle.

see home page

Harchibald lands second Christmas Hurdle

Stan James Christmas Hurdle (Grade 1) 2m, 4yo+

HARCHIBALD was given a master-class ride in patience and timing by Paul Carberry to land a second Stan James Christmas Hurdle after 11-8 favourite Punjabi crashed out at the penultimate flight.

Straw Bear, Pierrot Lunaire and Punjabi headed affairs under a strong pace to set the race up perfectly for hold-up specialist Harchibald, who travelled with consumate ease turningfor home.



With the Nicky Henderson-trained favourite crumbling under pressure at the second last, eventual second Snap Tie was left in front as the 7-1 winner jumped upsides at the final flight to go on by three-parts of a length.



Blue Bajan, who tracked the early pace throughout, looked in with a chance turning in but was caught for pacein the closing stages, to take third. Pierrot Lunaire suffered a crashing fall at the last when beaten.

Harchibald, trained by Noel Meade, first took this Grade 1 contest four-years go before finishing runner-up in this race last year to Straw Bear, who returned from a spell chasing to come home a distant fourth this time.

Carberry said: "That was absolutely brilliant. "I said to Ruby (Walsh) at the start that he hadn't felt this way in a long time.

"He put in a few brave leaps but he always gets there - it was important not to get him to the front too soon. He kept galloping after the last and it was great."

Stan James make him just 12-1 for the Champion Hurdle (from 20), Coral go 14-1 (from 33), Paddy Power 20-1 (from 33) and William Hill 20-1 (from 50