A horse with Champion Hurdle aspirations for smaller connections come March, which is what we all love to see in racing, connections taking a chance with a horse that does look a very nice horse.
Tommy’s Oscar takes the step up into Graded company for the first time in his career, but he does look to deserve to take the chance at these higher levels, due to currently on a three-race winning streak, winning all three races by a combined 17 lengths.
His last run at Musselburgh on new years day is his most impressive victory to date, beating a horse trained by champion trainer Paul Nicholls who was quite well fancied that day and is a Graded winner himself, with some decent form in behind.
The Ann Hamilton trained gelding travelled strongly throughout the race, relishing the quick pace over the 2-mile trip, and was going easily at the 3rd last before surging clear up the home straight to stay on and win by 6 lengths.
He has improved with each run and looks more like a graded horse in the making each time we see him on a racecourse.
Should he win this Grade 2 Champion Hurdle trial at Haydock, then hopefully all roads lead to the 2-mile feature race on the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Three wins in a row, with his career best performance last time out, this 7yo looks to improve with each run and with Champion Hurdle aspirations from connections shows how much of a talent he is, will be hard to stop in this given his current run of form.