One year after finishing third as the hot favorite in Cheltenham’s Champion
Hurdle, the ex-flat performer BINOCULAR (Fr) (Enrique) returned to the Cotswolds
to triumph at 9-1 on Tuesday. Always traveling with menace under Tony McCoy, the
J.P. McManus-owned six-year-old bounded up the hill after a fluent final-hurdle
jump to beat Khyber Kim (Mujahid) by 3 1/2 lengths in a great finish.
Trained by Elie Lellouche to finish runner-up in the Prix Francois Mathet and
Prix Pelleas as a three-year-old, the gelding had shown alacrity over hurdles
after being purchased by his famed owner and sent to Nicky Henderson. He was
runner-up in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2008
before his third-placing when 6-4 a year ago.
His participation in this year’s renewal had been in doubt days earlier
following some below-par efforts so far this term, with connections only giving
the green light after extensive veterinary examinations.
“When he was beaten last year, we said we’d come back in 12 months’ time and
win this year, but we have not had an easy passage,” Henderson said. “We were
9/10ths of the way to taking him out of this year’s race, but a lot of work has
been undertaken by a lot of people on both sides of the Irish Sea to get him
here. We ironed a few things out, and his jumping was the real difference
today.”
“Nicky worked the oracle and brought him back, and I just wondered if it was
for real,” McManus said. “I’m so pleased because he believed so much in this
horse. But my first thoughts after the race are with John Mulhern, who passed
away (Monday). He was with us at Cheltenham every year, and I just wish he was
here today to see this.”