Wincanton preview: Elite Hurdle (15.15)
David Metcalf | November 6, 2015
Trainer Paul Nicholls has a tremedous record in the Elite Hurdle, and All Yours can further enhance it with victory in this year’s renewal of the Grade 2 contest at Wincanton (15.15).
The Ditcheat handler has won the race a record six times, and in All Yours has a gelding who showed progressive form throughout last season to end up one of the top juveniles.
After opening his account with a facile 10 length success at Taunton, the four-year-old posted a cracking effort when chasing home Beltor in the Grade 2 Adonis Hurdle at Kempton.
All Yours is all that in Elite Hurdle
All Yours backed that up with a solid fifth of 22 to stable companion Qualando in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival, before rounding off the campaign with a career-best performance to land the Grade 1 Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.
The son of Halling came from well off the pace in the latter under a confident ride from Sam Twiston-Davies, and after taking up the running after the last kept on strongly to beat Devilment by 3/4 of a length.
It was an effort which suggested there was even better to come, and the runner-up is a very useful sort who has since come out and made a winning seasonal reappearance at Cheltenham to give the form a boost.
Nicholls also saddles Irving who would be a big player on the pick of his form but needs to bounce back after a some woeful efforts last season, and a bigger danger to All Yours is likely to be Zarib.
Zarib leads Skelton challenge
The Dan Skelton trained gelding won two of his five starts over hurdles last season and finished just one place and 1 1/4 lengths behind All Yours when sixth in the Fred Winter.
Zarib is now 9lb better of at the weights, and that gives the four-year-old every chance of turning the tables.
However, the son of Azamour was disappointing when a well-beaten fifth at Ascot when last seen in action and needs to bounce back.
Zarib may well be capable of doing so and hails from a stable in good form, but whether he has the scope to cope with an upwardly mobile All Yours is questionable.
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Coral’s top tip: All Yours ended last season on a serious upward curve, so rates a solid bet to provide champion trainer Paul Nicholls with another Elite Hurdle success.