HERALD CHAMPION

NOVICE HURDLE

(GRADE 1)

A RACE that looked an ideal opportunity for Yorkhill to end his season on a high instead saw Don’t Touch It step out of the shadows cast by some of his contemporaries as he produced the performance of his life in the Herald Champion Novice Hurdle.

A first Grade 1 winner of the season for Jessica Harrington, Don’t Touch It (16/1) was becoming the longest priced winner of this race since Moscow Flyer scored for the trainer and jockey Barry Geraghty some 16 years previously. After showing a good level of ability in four previous outings over timber the J.P. McManus-owned winner lined-up here with a rating of 139.

That still left him with lots to do against Yorkhill who had carried all before him at both Cheltenham and Aintree. However, this race was just a bridge too far for the 4/9 favourite who jumped left at a number of hurdles and was already struggling when a mistake at the second last left him toiling vainly to close in on the leaders.

At this point the patiently ridden Don’t Touch It had cruised into contention for Geraghty and the Scorpion gelding moved to the front nearing the last.

Once he got into the lead Don’t Touch It began to idle and this allowed Petit Mouchoir to get back to the front on the run in but the winner found further reserves to force his way back into the lead late on. Mrs Harrington’s charge carried the day half a length with the Nicky Henderson-trained Brain Power securing third. Yorkhill was beaten just over a dozen lengths into fourth as he met with the first defeat of his career.

“That is fantastic. I always had a feeling that better ground would bring out the best in him,” stated the winning trainer. “When he was third in a Grade 2 at Naas in February he just got completely bogged down on the ground.

“He wasn’t going to Cheltenham or Aintree so we trained him for this and he’s done us proud.

“He’s only won a maiden hurdle and this was a hell of a step up for him today but the ground really suited and he was able to jump off it which he couldn’t do at Naas. The race suited him well too and he was able to creep into it and Barry felt he actually got there too soon on him.”