Not So Sleepy fighting fit after Sandown heroics

Ashley Iveson
December 10, 2023 9:40 pm

Next stop could be Cheltenham in March.

Fighting Fifth hero Not So Sleepy could head straight to the Champion Hurdle after trainer Hughie Morrison ruled out a Christmas clash with Constitution Hill.

While testing conditions led to the withdrawal of National Hunt racing’s headline act, as well as his stablemate Shishkin, nothing should be taken away from Morrison’s durable veteran, who was winning the Grade One contest for a second time, having dead-heated with Epatante two years ago.

The 11-year-old proved himself as good as ever in accounting for a pair of Cheltenham Festival-winning mares in Love Envoi and You Wear It Well, and is reported to have taken his exertions in his stride.

This 11-year-old was not sleeping today!
Not So Sleepy wins the Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle 🐎#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/ZJJUQyKa12
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 9, 2023

“To be honest, he’s taken it so well I’m embarrassed,” Morrison said on Sunday morning.

“He really has taken it well, I don’t think he had a hard race yesterday.

“I think the critical thing is he’s as good as anything on heavy ground, or very soft. If you take a proper line on the form book, he’s run to over 160, which is extraordinary for an 11-year-old.

“Obviously some people won’t take that as read, but if you take a line through You Wear It Well, who had form on the ground and everything else, I have no doubt we’d have frightened Constitution Hill.”

Owner Lady Blyth and jockey Sean Bowen in the winner's enclosure with Not So Sleepy — Owner Lady Blyth and jockey Sean Bowen in the winner’s enclosure with Not So Sleepy (John Walton/PA)

Nicky Henderson’s superstar will now make his belated seasonal debut in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, but Not So Sleepy will not be among his rivals.

Morrison added: “He hates Kempton. I took him there in February for a gallop with Quickthorn before he went to Dubai and while he didn’t mind going left-handed, when I sent him right-handed he pulled himself up, so he won’t go anywhere near Kempton.

“We’ll keep all options open on the basis we could put him in the Champion Hurdle and one day it might be heavy, as long as he trains well.

“He was fifth in the Champion Hurdle last season when I didn’t feel I had him there as well I would have liked him, but as we saw when he won on the Flat at Newbury (in September) and again yesterday, he’s back to his best if not better.”

Hughie Morrison at Sandown on Saturday (John Walton/PA)

With Not So Sleepy clearly still loving the game, thoughts of retirement are not on Morrison’s mind.

“We’re always very mindful of it, we have been for the last four years,” he said.

“Three weeks ago he schooled the best he’s ever schooled. Having not seen anything since the Champion Hurdle, he went over some mini fences and really attacked them.

“He loves running fresh. He didn’t hardly blow at all yesterday – considering he’d run and won on that ground, he had an abnormally light blow.

“If we went for the Champion Hurdle, he wouldn’t have another run, and then later on next year you might think of giving him one run in September somewhere and going for a third Fighting Fifth again at Newcastle, or wherever it is.”