My Tent puts up Fine Fighting Fifth Performance
Nicky Henderson’s exciting My Tent Or Yours did his Champion Hurdle prospects no harm at all with an impressive success at Newcastle on November 30 in the Grade 1 Fighting Fifth Hurdle and strengthened his position in Betfair’s ante-post market for the big race at Cheltenham on March 11.
The winner of four of his six outings last term as he emerged as a leading hurdles prospect, My Tent Or Yours announced his potential as a top-notcher when landing the ultra-competitive Betfair Hurdle at Newbury in February before running a cracker in defeat when finding only the high-class Champagne Fever too good for him in the Supreme Novices Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The gelded son of Desert Prince ended last season on a high note though as he proved far too good for Forgotten Voice at the Aintree Festival in the Alder Hey Top Novices Hurdle.
Henderson has made no secret of the fact that he holds the JP McManus-owned hurdler in high regard, and the fact that champion jockey Tony McCoy chose to travel up to Newcastle to partner him in preference to At Fisher’s Cross (who was a disappointment in the Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury the same afternoon), was a tip in itself.
McCoy admitted after the race that he would have been very disappointed to have failed to score on the odds-on favourite, but also suggested that My Tent Or Yours – good though he is – might have to improve further if he is to be a genuine challenger to the dominance of dual champion hurdler and defending champion Hurricane Fly (6.4).
Nigel Twiston Davies’ exciting youngster The New One is a marginal ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle on Betfair at 4.9, just ahead of My Tent Or Yours who is offered at 5.
