Cheltenham Festival News: Champ confirmed for the Stayers’

After not firing over fences as many felt would be the case, plus that hugely successful return to hurdles in the Grade 1 Long Walk at Ascot before Christmas, Nicky Henderson has confirmed that the 10-year-old will stay over hurdles.

Already a winner at the Festival two years ago, when he landed the RSA Chase (now Brown Advisory), despite having his colours lowered by Paisley Park in the Cleeve Hurdle at Prestbury Park recently, his trainer confirmed he would be back at the track next month.

He ran in the Gold Cup last season, but was pulled up and it emerged he was suffering with a back issue.

"It think it just looked the obvious thing to do, he's got to stay over hurdles now," said Henderson.

"We've got Chantry House for the Gold Cup, we're very happy with him. We all had a talk about it and the Stayers' Hurdle just looks the right race for Champ."

Veteran stablemate Buveur D'Air has also been taken out of his two engagements at the Festival, in the Champion and Stayers' Hurdles, and he now has the Aintree Hurdle, which he won back in 2017, as his aim.

"There's nothing wrong with Buveur, we've only really had major objective with him which is the Aintree Hurdle," said Henderson.

"We want one run before that but we've only ever been aiming at the Aintree Hurdle, he ran very well in it last year.

"We think it would be unfair on him to use the Champion Hurdle as a prep race! That might be stretching it a bit far.

"I was thinking about the Kingwell (at Wincanton on Feburary 19), but he might not be ready for that but he could run in a handicap somewhere or something.

"It's all been discussed and Aintree and Punchestown are his targets. We might get a run in before Cheltenham, but not in enough time to get him ready for Cheltenham so there wasn't much point leaving him in."

Meanwhile, Sharjah has been taken out of the Unibet Champion Hurdle, a race he has been second in for the last two years. Willie Mullins' nine-year-old was most recently seen winning the Matheson Hurdle at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting for the fourth time.