Warren Greatrex will test Keeper Hill‘s Cheltenham credentials further at Huntingdon next month after the horse’s easy win at Hereford.
The Lambourn trainer saw the gelding power to a five-length victory over Skipthecuddles in the first division of the novice hurdle on Wednesday.
With Wayne Hutchinson deputising in the saddle for sidelined stable jockey Gavin Sheehan, Keeper Hill comfortably saw off all challengers including hot favourite Jameson (5-4) – two lengths further back in third.
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The six-year-old’s next test is likely to come at Huntingdon in the Sidney Banks (Novices’ Hurdle) on February 9.
Keeper Hill does not yet feature in ante-post lists for the major novice hurdles at the Festival in March, but Greatrex hopes he could yet develop into a contender.
“Huntingdon will tell us where we’re going but he has everything you need (in a Cheltenham horse) as he travels well in his races, his jumping is getting better and he has a turn of foot,” said the Lambourn-based trainer.
“He’s a horse we’ve always liked at home and it’s nice to see it paying off now.”
Greatrex’s team won the Sidney Banks last year with Ma Du Fou and after seeing Keeper Hill perform well on testing ground at Hereford, he believes he horse could be the ideal candidate for next month’s renewal.
“I was a bit worried about the ground as it was testing all day,” added Greatrex. “But Wayne said he coped with it very easily and he’s done it very well.
“He’s a horse who is getting stronger all the time and his jumping is improving all the time.”
