Versatile Sceau Royal looks very much the one to beat in Elite Hurdle

Saturday: 3.35 Wincanton
Unibet Elite Hurdle (Grade 2) | 1m7f | 4yo+ | ITV4/RTV

The Irish are getting a bit cocky aren't they?

Not since Space Trucker finished second for Jessica Harrington in 1996 has there been an Irish raider in the Elite Hurdle, but this year there are two.

The 23-5 drubbing handed out to the British at the Cheltenham Festival may well open the floodgates for more Irish challenges at other tracks, and it certainly makes sense for their second-tier 2m hurdlers to have a crack at what passes for Champion Hurdle aspirants across the water.

The race was a handicap when Space Trucker was second, and Irish pair Belfast Banter and Sole Pretender would certainly be taken more seriously had it not become a conditions race since 2018.

County Hurdle and Aintree Grade 1 winner Belfast Banter comes here after a fall and would only have been placed at best in handicap company at Listowel in September, and he arguably has more to find than the bigger-priced Sole Pretender.

The Norman Lee-trained seven-year-old should not be underestimated as he has won several times after a break, including a massive 598-day layoff in April.

He clearly has something to find with Sceau Royal and Goshen but is not yet fully exposed.

Other than the fact Daryl Jacob has won five of the last ten runnings, there aren't really any trends to go on as the conditions changed so recently.

The last two runnings have gone to a Simon Munir and Isaac Souede-owned favourite, though, so the Jacob-ridden Sceau Royal, winner last year and under top weight in 2016, would be following a pattern.

Sceau Royal is very much the one to beat, and may have most to fear from Sole Pretender.

Race analysis by Paul Kealy

Sceau Royal bids for record success

Rejuvenated nine-year-old Sceau Royal bids to continue the fine late flourish to his career by landing a record third victory in the Unibet Elite Hurdle.

He won this race at the age of four back in 2016 and matched Celestial Halo's two successes by taking it again 12 months ago.

The latest triumph was part of a memorable 2020-21 season, when he also won the Welsh Champion Hurdle at Ffos Las and Game Spirit Chase at Newbury and was an unlucky fifth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Sceau Royal picked up where he left off with a comfortable win in a Listed Hurdle at Kempton last month that took his career earnings past £500,000.

Trainer Alan King said: "I was delighted with his comeback win at Kempton, after his fine 2020-21 season, and he'll probably switch between hurdles and fences again this term as he's equally good over both.

"The obvious next step after Kempton was to try to repeat last year's win in the Elite Hurdle and I hope that he should give a very good account of himself."

What they say

Peter Fahey, trainer of Belfast Banter
He's in good form and it was always an option for him to come here. Good ground is important to him. We're hoping he can run a big race.

Norman Lee, trainer of Sole Pretender
The dry weather forecast is a positive. He ran well in the Galway Hurdle last time but I think we'll be running him in conditions and Graded races for the winter.

Paul Nicholls, trainer of Christopher Wood
We've got to start somewhere with him. He's in no-man's land really in terms of his rating.
Reporting by David Carr

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