Kempton return in Silver Streak’s diary

Evan Williams’ grey likely to bid for Listed hat-trick next month.

Evan Williams’ Grade One-winning hurdler Silver Streak could start his season by attempting to win next month’s Listed Racing TV Hurdle at Kempton for a third year in succession.

The popular grey made a top-flight breakthrough last term – taking the Christmas Hurdle, also held at Kempton, by a convincing six and a half lengths on Boxing Day.

That performance was the highlight of a season in which he contested many of the top races, beginning his campaign with victory at Kempton before meeting with misfortune in Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth when carried out by Not So Sleepy.

A run in the International Hurdle at Cheltenham saw him back in the frame when he was just a nose behind Song For Someone. Then after his Grade One success at Kempton, visits to the two big spring meetings at Cheltenham and Aintree returned sixth-placed finishes in both the Champion Hurdle and the Aintree Hurdle.

Kempton is again the likely starting point for the eight-year-old, who may then chart a familiar course through the fixture list.

“We always try to get to that Kempton race – we’ve started there over the last couple of years, and there’s only so many places he can go,” said Williams.

“If we go there that’d be great. If we didn’t he’d go straight to Newcastle, but I’d say we’ll try to get to Kempton, with all being well and his fitness being OK.

“He’s just cantering away quietly at the minute, and we’ll go from there.”

Although the Fighting Fifth is pencilled into Silver Streak’s calendar, another Cheltenham Festival challenge is not necessarily set in stone yet.

“To some extent, we don’t think as far as Cheltenham,” added Glamorgan trainer Williams.

“It’s never really on our agenda with him – it was always our goal to try to win a Grade One.

“Cheltenham’s full of Irish horses, and it’s hard to beat them. We were just thinking about trying to beat what was running this side of the Irish Sea.

“He won his Grade One last year, and that’s what I really cared about. I thought the horse deserved to win a Grade One.

“He’s such a smashing horse and he runs so many good races. I was very, very delighted that he won his Grade One – and to some extent that’s all that really matters in his career.

“It’s all about enjoying him now, and realising how lucky we are to have him.”

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