My Tent Or Yours up for International challenge at Cheltenham
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My Tent Or Yours the answer to International Hurdle
The Grade 2 International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday (15.00) is the most valuable event at the track’s final meeting before Christmas and, with the drying ground in his favour, My Tent Or Yours looks to hold outstanding claims of registering an overdue success in the 2m contest.
Trained by Nicky Henderson, the nine-year-old finished a fine second in the 2013 running of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle before going on beat The New One by 1/2 a length in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day of that year.
My Tent Or Yours also ran a blinder to finish runner-up to Jezki in the 2014 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, but was then on the sidelines for nearly two years after suffering an injury in the Scottish Champion Hurdle.
Incredible run in Champion Hurdle
However, he looked as good as ever when putting in an incredible effort on return to action and finishing a 4 1/2 length runner-up to Annie Power in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in March.
The JP McManus owned gelding backed it up with another solid second to Annie Power in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle, over a 2m 4f trip which didn’t suit, and was far from disgraced on his final start of the campaign when third to Vroum Vroum Mag in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown Festival.
Drying ground a huge plus
Although only third of four to Ch’Tibello on return to action at Hyadock last month, My Tent Or Yours was totally unsuited by a slowly run race and the bottomless underfoot conditions.
He is sure to come on a bundle for that outing and with ground on the main track at Cheltenham expected to be on the faster side of good this weekend looks sure to get the going he relishes.
With Yanworth, a recent winner of the Grade 2 Coral Hurdle at Ascot who also carries the colours of McManus, also likely to miss the race in favour of a crack Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park this looks a great opportunity for the classy My Tent Or Yours to register a first success in three years.
The New One feared most
The New One bids to win the race for a third time in four years and commands the utmost respect.
Nigel Twiston-Davies’ trained gelding doesn’t get the respect that he deserves for one that has won 13 of his 21 races and looked a desperately unlucky loser when third in the 2014 running of the Champion Hurdle when getting badly hampered at a crucial stage.
Plans to send him chasing have seemingly been put on hold to let him have a another crack at this contest and The New One has an excellent record fresh and looks sure to give My Tent Or Yours plenty to think about.
Other possible interesting contenders are last year’s winner Old Guard and the up-and-coming Mister Miyagi who finished a fine sixth to Altior in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival back in March and has shaped with plenty of promise in two starts this season.
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