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Unbeaten Upstart Challenges Reigning Hurdle King at Fighting Fifth
17 Nov
Summary
- The New Lion, a Cheltenham Festival hero, to face Constitution Hill
- Trainer Dan Skelton believes his horse must be at his best to beat the favorite
- Constitution Hill is expected to be in top form for the Newcastle showpiece
On November 29th, the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle will feature a highly anticipated clash between two of the top hurdlers in the sport. The New Lion, a Cheltenham Festival hero owned by JP McManus, is currently the favorite for the prestigious race. However, trainer Dan Skelton knows his young pretender will have to be at the top of his game to overcome the challenge posed by Constitution Hill, one of the stars of the hurdling division.
Skelton has already had a close-up look at Nicky Henderson's former champion and believes the focus will be squarely on Constitution Hill, who is expected to be back to his best form. The trainer acknowledges that his horse is stepping into uncharted territory, going up against a proven champion like Constitution Hill. Nonetheless, Skelton is confident The New Lion has the attributes to play a role in what could be an epic clash on Tyneside.
The New Lion has been impressive in his unbeaten run so far, and Skelton is eager to see how his charge fares against the top-level competition. Like his stablemate L'Eau Du Sud, who recently defeated the highly-regarded Jonbon, The New Lion will head to Newcastle ready to find out where he stands in the pecking order of the hurdling division.
