Lee Looking Forward To Arcalis

Graham Lee, who rode his 100th winner of the season at Ayr today, issued an upbeat bulletin on his Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle hopeful Arcalis.

The six-year-old grey disappointed at Haydock on unsuitably soft ground last time but had previously been impressive in the ?Fighting Fifth' Hurdle at Newcastle.

And according to Lee, a line can be put through the Haydock run.

'He surprised me how well he coped with the ground at Haydock but we only went a very steady gallop early,' he told Racing UK.

'As soon as we quickened he lost his action and uprooted the second-last flight and when he came away from it he wasn't moving right so I pulled him up.

'When we got back he was sound but with a horse like that I'm not going to take any chances with him. You can just draw a line through that run.

'The key to him is decent ground, I know he won the ?Fighting Fifth' on soft when Tony Dobbin was on him but I think the key to him is a good pace and good ground, which he will get in the Champion.

'He's fine at the moment and I think the boss (Howard Johnson) just wants to get a racecourse gallop into him.'

? PA Sport