Katchit return to form lifts King- Horse Racing

Page last updated at 08:44 GMT, Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Katchit return to form lifts King

King sets out Cheltenham hopes Alan King is confident Katchit can put up a battling defence of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham after a break. The six-year-old failed to fire in his first three efforts of the season, but King senses some of the old zest is back ahead of March's Festival. "We decided to give him a mid-winter holiday and I think it's done the trick," King told BBC Points West. "He's back with a fair bit of bounce again and I hope he can run very well again defending his crown." The Champion Hurdle is the showpiece race on the first day of the meeting on Tuesday, 10 March. But after a disappointing start to the campaign, Katchit has become something of a forgotten horse. He was beaten by Snap Tie at Kempton, Chomba Womba at Wincanton and trailed home behind Champion Hurdle favourite Binocluar in the Boylesports.com International. "He hasn't been running badly, but he hasn't quite sparked and he's been a little bit lethargic at home as well," reflected King. But after a month with Richard Pitman, Katchit has returned to King's Barbury Castle yard in Wiltshire in fine fettle and the trainer admits to being happy with him for the first time in months. Whether Katchit can help the stable match their success of three wins at Cheltenham last year remains to be seen as King concedes he has been "very impressed" by Binocular. But he hopes former Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Voy Por Ustedes can bring the yard success in the Ryanair Chase on the Thursday of the meeting and is enthusiastic about the chances of a host of novice hurdlers. "Cheltenham's what you plan for all season," he added. "You have a lot of hopes in the autumn and you've just got to work your way through and run the horses and hope some come through and are good enough to go there. "Fortunately we've got a fairly strong team. "This season is probably the strongest team of novice hurdlers we've ever had so we look as if we're going to be represented in all the novice hurdles for the first time since I started. "Voy Por's almost certainly going to be in the Ryanair. He's still in the Queen Mother, but obviously Master Minded is one of the best horses I've ever seen and I see no point in taking him on. "I always say if you can have one winner at the Festival it's been a good year. "We were fortunate to have three last year and that will be very hard to match. You don't go there expecting too much."