 Punjabi has failed to win his four races since the Festival win |
The 2009 Champion Hurdle winner Punjabi saw his hopes of a repeat take a knock after Medermit claimed victory in the Champion Hurdle trial at Haydock. Medermit and Robert Thornton pulled clear after Punjabi and Barry Geraghty made a mess of the final hurdle. Twist Magic, ridden by Ruby Walsh, had a superb win in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot to see his odds cut for the Queen Mother Champion Chase. The Paul Nicholls-trained winner is now as short as 4-1 for a Cheltenham win. Medermit, from the Alan King yard, had finished ahead of the Nicky Henderson-trained Punjabi when they were third and fourth in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and King's charge came out on top again. The big two were left to battle it out after Henderson's other runner Afsoun had taken the four runners along to three out but it was Medermit who proved stronger on the soft-to-heavy ground. King, whose yard is coming back into form after a lean patch, said afterwards: "We can dream now, but I'm just thrilled with today. I was very worried about the ground coming here, but he seemed to handle it well and Choc (Thornton) said he even enjoyed it.  | 606: DEBATE |
"I wasn't sure we would confirm the form with Punjabi from Cheltenham. The horses still aren't right, but hopefully we are getting there and this is obviously very encouraging. "This fellow will go straight for the Champion as he is a horse who likes to be fresh and he will be even better on better ground." Punjabi's odds for the Champion Hurdle have gone from around 8-1 to 14-1 with Medermit now in to 14-1 from 33-1 but Geraghty believes his charge will benefit from better ground for the Festival in seven weeks' time. "He has run a good race, but it is Cheltenham which brings out the best in him. He likes a battle, a battle certainly suits him better," he said. "Take nothing away from the winner - there are six horses in the Champion Hurdle which could win it and he is definitely one of them." At Ascot, Twist Magic and Petit Robin, ridden by Tony McCoy, were together on the back straight before superior jumping saw the Nicholls-trained horse take the lead before the home turn and pull away for a comfortable 12-length win. The win for Twist Magic made amends for his defeat in the same race two years ago and follows up on his win in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown.  Walsh described Twist Magic afterwards as "a bit eccentric" |
Nicholls said: "He was beaten in this two years ago after winning the Tingle Creek and I needed to see him go out and do this to show he is a different horse. "You have got to keep him mentally sweet and we have started working him on his own at home and we had to try something different as he wouldn't go up the gallops. "We gave him a bit of a break after the Tingle Creek and he had his flu jab and a short holiday. "I wanted him to be at his very best today and I have never seen him look so good. He seems to have grown up and he'll head straight to Cheltenham now. "On the last day's form and on this he can win the Champion Chase and he is right in there." Meanwhile, 2009 Grand National winner Mon Mome finished fourth behind veteran Our Vic in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock. The 12-year-old made all the running under Danny Cook who was having his first ride after serving a 28-day ban for taking the wrong course when last partnering the horse at Cheltenham in December
Victor Chandler Chase (Ascot)
1. Twist Magic (R Walsh) 11-8 Fav
2. Petit Robin (A P McCoy) 15-8
3. Oh Crick (W Hutchinson) 16-1
7 ran. Dist: 12, 1 Champion Hurdle Trial (Haydock)
1. Medermit (R Thornton) 11-4
2. Punjabi (B J Geraghty) 5-6 Fav
3. Afsoun (A Tinkler) 12-1
4 ran. Dist: 4, 2 Peter Marsh Chase (Haydock)
1. Our Vic (Danny Cook) 20-1
2 Palypso De Creek (T Siddall)33-1
3. According To Pete (P Kinsella) 6-1
12 ran. Dist: 2¾, 14
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