Silver primed to bid for Champion Hurdle gold

Evan Williams hoping for good ground at Cheltenham.

Silver Streak is primed for the Unibet Champion Hurdle – and will be a “different animal” if granted his favoured good ground on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Evan Williams has no doubt his admirable grey will do himself proud again, whatever the conditions on Tuesday.

But the Glamorgan trainer knows too that if the rain stays away, Silver Streak’s chances of doubling his Grade One tally – following his victory from title-holder Epatante in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle – will be vastly increased.

Williams intended throughout to keep the hugely consistent eight-year-old fresh through the mid-winter months, and reports him in fine shape for the challenge ahead.

He said: “He’s grand – we were always going to go straight to the Champion after the Christmas Hurdle, so everything is good.

“He just had a bit of a freshen-up, tipped away quietly, and we just built him up then for a crack at the Champion.”

A very wet January and early February would hardly have played to Silver Streak’s strengths in any prep races and although some more rain is forecast this week, the recent dry spell has left the Cheltenham ground bordering on good in places.

Williams added: “The thing with Silver Streak, if you run him on heavy ground he’ll try hard for you, if you run him on soft ground he’ll try hard for you – but if you run him on good to soft ground, or faster, he becomes a different animal.

“I can’t overemphasise that to people – on good to soft ground, the horse gets a lot of help off the going. On heavy ground, he just runs his heart out for you.

“But the ground is the difference between winning a Grade One and not winning for Silver Streak.”

Williams has already seen proof of that, after a change to front-running tactics also paid off with his near seven-length superiority over a below-par Epatante at Christmas.

“At Kempton, it was our ground and we got lucky with the opposition, and we won a Grade One,” he said.

“He will only reach those heights when the conditions underfoot are to that specification.”

Williams is less concerned how the Champion Hurdle is run because he is confident Silver Streak can adapt to whatever his rivals choose to do.

Honeysuckle will be one of Silver Streak's most formidable opponents next week
Honeysuckle will be one of Silver Streak’s most formidable opponents next week (Niall Carson/PA)

“You ride the race according to what’s in front of you at the time,” he added.

“Kempton was Kempton, and Cheltenham will be Cheltenham.

“I’m not in any way, shape or form worried about having to make the running or having to not make the running.

“All I’m worried about is the other runners against us in a Champion Hurdle.”

While Silver Streak took his two-month break, the prolific Honeysuckle and a back-to-form Goshen were prominent among those who have enhanced their credentials and Williams was impressed.

“I’m a horse racing fan, and I enjoy watching any quality horse,” he said.

“To see Honeysuckle win was brilliant, and I was particularly pleased with Goshen.

“I’m a fan of the horse, but I’m an even bigger fan of the connections.

“It was a joy (in Wincanton’s Kingwell Hurdle). We had a runner in the race (Esprit Du Large) and I’ve never been so happy to be blown off the park!”

He can be confident that will not happen with Silver Streak – third and sixth in the last two Champion Hurdles – but is reassured too that the pressure is off in any case after his Kempton win.

“I like to see good horses, and it’s a joy to be even talking about our horse in the same breath as those ones,” added Williams.

“I’m in a very lucky position – our Grade One is in the bag. All I want to do is go to Cheltenham, have a bit of luck in running and win, lose or draw, as long as that horse comes back in one piece and it’s a good race, I’m just delighted to take part.”

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