Bear enters champion picture
Straw Bear emerged as a genuine Champion Hurdle contender with a smooth success in the Grade One wbx.com “Fighting Fifth” Hurdle at Newcastle.
Nick Gifford’s five-year-old was just touched off in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season but looks to have improved in the interim as Tony McCoy never had an anxious moment on board the heavily-backed even-money favourite, who scored by five lengths.
Race regular The French Furze (66-1) took the field along and despite his advancing years, was just touched off for second by Noble Request (9-2).
Winning connections can start dreaming of Cheltenham once more and along with Detroit City, the British finally seem to have a live chance of wresting the crown from the Emerald Isle.
William Hill were suitably impressed and make him Straw Bear 11-2 (from 12-1) for the hurdling crown, while Stan James go 7-1 (from 14-1) and Victor Chandler make the same price from 12s.
