Media Throws Light on her Fred Winter Claims
A Media Luz: Fred Winter Hurdle?
The Nicky Henderson-trained A Media Luz has always looked a filly of considerable potential and she finally got everything right at Huntingdon in midweek when nonchalantly disposing of decent opposition to land the Chatteris Fen Juvenile Hurdle and book herself a place at the forthcoming Cheltenham Festival, writes Elliot Slater.
The four-year-old ex-French filly had been through the mill on her previous outings since joining Henderson, refusing to settle on her debut in Britain at Cheltenham in December and running herself into the ground before fading into seventh place behind Sam Winner in the JCB Triumph Hurdle Trial. She settled better at Newbury a couple of weeks later and duly ran well to be second to the smart Grandouet, before heading to Kempton’s rescheduled ‘King George’ fixture at in mid-January. Always travelling well on the heels of the leaders, Barry Geraghty had just produced A Media Luz to take up the running and was going very strongly at the second last when they took a nasty tumble.
There were no such problems though at Huntingdon where the daughter of Johann Quatz jumped well throughout and led on the bridle at the third last before drawing further and further clear of Pantxoa to score by 18 lengths, easily justifying the 8/15 odds laid about her. The horse now looks to be one of the most solid Cheltenham 2011 tips around.
Bookmakers reacted by trimming the winner to as short as 10/1 in the Cheltenham betting for the JCB Triumph Hurdle next month, but Henderson gave the strongest of hints that he is thinking far more seriously about a crack at the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap hurdle, a race for which his Huntingdon winner has now been elevated to clear favouritism at a best price of 7/1.
Posted by Matt
on February 11, 2011. Filed under Cheltenham Festival, News.
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