Potential Champion Hurdle contender Mille Chief will miss his next intended outing in the Totesport Trophy at Newbury next month following the news that the handicapper has raised the five-year-old a massive 13lbs for his win at Sandown on January 8th.
Alan King's French bred gelding put up a fine performance to win the 32Red Handicap Hurdle at the Esher circuit under the crushing burden of 11st 12lbs, ploughing through desperate ground to dish out a beating to his rivals and remind the racing public that he is still a horse of considerable ability. His trainer's immediate reaction was to nominate the Totesport Trophy as the next stop, but after learning on Tuesday that the BHA handicapper has raised his horse very nearly a stone to a mark of 158, King will now run his back-to-form star in one of the key Champion Hurdle trials ahead of Cheltenham 2011.
The three options open to Mille Chief are the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las on February 5, the Contenders Hurdle back at Sandown on the same date, or the Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton a fortnight later. This time last year the Ski Chief gelding was ante-post favourite for the Triumph Hurdle, but recurring bouts of lameness scuppered his chance of Cheltenham Festival glory and he was given an easy time for the rest of term. A lot of punters will have their eyes on the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting, but Mile Chief in the Champion Hurdle could be one to watch.
An eye-catching run at Ascot in November when attempting to give lumps of weight to handicap 'good thing' Aegean Dawn suggested that Mille Chief was on the way back, and following his six-length romp against Sophies Trophy he has re-emerged as a contender for the Champion Hurdle itself. As low as 20/1 with some firms, Mille Chief's odds would take another tumble if he does emerge victorious from his chosen prep race.
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