Zanahiyr likely to take on Constitution Hill in Champion Hurdle
Gordon Elliott also pinpoints Festival handicapper with a ‘great chance’
Zanahiyr, who was disqualified from third place behind Honeysuckle in last year’s Champion Hurdle after testing positive for a banned raceday substance, is set to take on Constitution Hill in this season’s renewal. Trainer Gordon Elliott was fined GBP 1,000 by an independent disciplinary panel of the British Horseracing Authority after a post-race urine test from Zanahiyr was found to contain 3-hydroxylidocaine, a metabolite of the local anaesthetic lidocaine, the source of which could not be established. Elliott, speaking at the Cheltenham’s launch of the handicap weights, said he is keen to let him take his chance in the Unibet-sponsored day one feature. He said: “We’ll probably confirm him for the Champion Hurdle and see what numbers are left in. If there are five or six runners, there is every chance he will take his chance in the Champion and we’ll ride him for a place. “Obviously it looks a very hot race, with Constitution Hill and State Man and a few others, but our idea is we are going to go. “We will get a look at all the weights (in other races) and see what’s what. It will probably be by the end of the week before we confirm what is going where.”
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