Adagio steps up Cheltenham preparations with run in Wincanton’s feature race

The talented five-year-old will bid to move a significant step closer to an outing in next month’s Unibet Champion Hurdle by making his return from injury a triumphant one in the Grade Two feature at the Somerset track against, amongst others, the enigmatic Goshen.

Last season, Adagio claimed Grade One honours in the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow before filling the runner-up spot in both the Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham and the Grade One Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree.

After finding only West Cork too strong under top-weight in the Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham in November, long-time stable jockey Tom Scudamore’s mount was forced to miss an outing at the track in December after meeting with a setback.

With Adagio, owned by Bran Drew of Bravesmangame fame and friends, now back firing on all cylinders, Pipe hopes he can now provide himself and his team with a timely boost in what has so far proven to be a difficult and frustrating campaign.

Pipe said: “Adagio pulled a muscle but he is back on form now and Tom [Scudamore] schooled him last week. This is a stepping stone towards the Champion Hurdle and he will improve for it.

“It is the first time he has raced right-handed for us. He won his claimer in France going right-handed and I don’t think he will have any problems with it.

“He ran very well in the Greatwood as it came off a rushed preparation, as he had to have a wind op’. He needs to step up from that for a Champion Hurdle. However, he seems in a good place.

“We were hoping to go to the International as it was the perfect race but these things happen with horses and, hopefully, he can run a big race on Saturday.

“Races like the Greatwood always have strong form lines. While four year olds often struggle in their second season, there seems to be strong form lines from that group this season.

“It hasn’t been the greatest season and we’ve been unlucky a few times. Hopefully, that will all change on Saturday.”

Although Adagio, who was picked up for 25,555 euros out of a Clairefontaine claimer in 2020, has proven to be a consummate professional on the track since joining Pipe, the early signs following his arrival from France were less than encouraging.

Pipe said: “When he arrived Gemma, my secretary, and me had to reverse him off the lorry as he wouldn’t get off it.

“He was a colt at the time and we thought ‘Oh my God what have we got here’. He used to go out to the paddock for some grass and we even had to reverse him out on to the grass. We gelded him and that helped him.”

Meanwhile, Gary Moore is hopeful Goshen can successfully defend his Kingwell crown. It is almost two years since Moore’s stable star suffered a heartbreaking final-flight exit with the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham at his mercy.

There have been a few bumps in the road during the intervening period but when Goshen is good he is very good – as he proved when landing this Grade Two prize last season. The six-year-old opened his account for the current campaign with a similarly dominant front-running display in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown a fortnight ago.

However Wincanton’s card will have to pass an early morning inspection after suffering storm damage yesterday – including part of a fence being blown away.