Unbeaten Cheltenham Festival winner The New Lion is on track to line-up in what could be a sensational renewal of the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, worth £115,000. Dan Skelton kept J P McManus’s 6-year-old in at the next entry stage for the Grade 1 contest alongside stablemate Kateira who caused an upset when a 28-length winner at Wetherby at the start of the month.
No trainer has won more renewals of this Grade 1 than Nicky Henderson and he will be hoping his former Champion Hurdler Constitution Hill can bounce back to the form which saw him coast home in this contest in 2022. That 12-length success was arguably the most impressive of his 10 career victories.
He could be joined by Seven Barrows stablemate Lulamba who holds a similar profile to last year’s impressive winner Sir Gino for the same connections. However, it is thought chasing is likely to be Lulamba’s priority this season.
Willie Mullins has never won the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle before but could be doubly represented this year courtesy of Anzadam and Kargese. The former is unbeaten in four starts, and was kept under the radar last season making just the two starts for Mullins.
Fellow 5-year-old Kargese has never finished out of the front three in any of her 11 career starts. She was runner-up in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (G1) last year, and went one better at the Cheltenham Festival earlier this year when she won the William Hill County Handicap Hurdle.
The Dai Walters-owned Celtic Dino defeated the ante-post favourite for the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in Alexei when a comfortable winner of the DragonBet “Welsh Champion” Hurdle at Chepstow last month.
Reigning Unibet Champion Hurdler Golden Ace was reported to have scoped dirty when she made a hugely underwhelming return to action in the bet365 Mares’ Hurdle at Wetherby behind Kateira on 1st November. She had been thoroughly progressive prior to that and would have to be respected if she was declared by Jeremy Scott. For more information, or to buy tickets, please visit www.newcastle-racecourse.co.uk
Latest betting with BetMGM
The New Lion 7/4f, Constitution Hill 9/4, Anzadam 11/4, Kargese 10/1, Lulamba 10/1, BAR 16/1
List of entries
Anzadam (FR) – W. P. Mullins / Mrs J Donnelly
Burdett Road (GB) – James Owen / The Gredley Family
Celtic Dino (FR) – Sam Thomas / Walters Plant Hire Ltd
Colonel Mustard (FR) – Mrs Lorna Fowler / Mrs A.Frost/P.G. Davies/R.H. Fowler
Constitution Hill (GB) – Nicky Henderson / Mr Michael Buckley
Give It To Me OJ (GB) – Gary & Josh Moore / Omar Jackson
Golden Ace (GB) – Jeremy Scott / I F Gosden
Kargese (FR) – W. P. Mullins/ Kenneth Alexander
Kateira (GB) – Dan Skelton / Stephen Bough & Dan Skelton
Lulamba (FR) – Nicky Henderson / Mrs J Donnelly
The New Lion (GB) – Dan Skelton / J. P. McManus
Zanndabad (IRE) – A J Martin / P Davies
