Horse Racing: Time is right for Go Native at opening centrepiece

GO NATIVE can secure a £1million bonus for connections by completing his hat-trick in an intriguing renewal of the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle.

The centrepiece of the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival, this year's Champion Hurdle is particularly interesting simply because it is so open.

It would be very dangerous to write off any of the first eight in the betting but, with doubts surrounding the likes of Binocular, Solwhit and Zaynar, the one with fewest questions to answer is Noel Meade's Go Native. Last season's Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero appeared destined for mediocrity when beaten by Voler La Vedette at Down Royal in November but Meade admitted he had under-cooked his charge that day.

A hugely-impressive victory in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle tends to give that theory plenty of weight and he proved that was no fluke when following up in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

The ground looks as though it will be in his favour and, while you can expect to see Paul Carberry playing a waiting game up the hill, Go Native should have too much speed and class for his rivals.