Meade Decides Against Harchibald Bid

Harchibald, runner-up to Hardy Eustace in the 2005 Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle, has been ruled out of this year's renewal by Noel Meade.

The County Meath handler also reports Christmas Hurdle winner Jazz Messenger as an unlikely runner and will instead rely on Grade One novice winner Iktitaf.

'I think I will only have one runner in the Champion Hurdle and that will be Iktitaf,' said Meade.

'Harchibald won't travel over as the ground is against him and it is going the same way with Jazz Messenger, who will go to Japan instead for the Grand Jump.'

The withdrawal of Harchibald is the second consecutive year the mercurial eight-year-old has missed the championship contest, with injury ruling him out 12 months ago.

He had been a general 25-1 chance for Tuesday's race having run down the field on his two outings this winter.

Meade was upbeat about the chances of Iktitaf, however, with the six-year-old rattling up four wins on the bounce early in the campaign before going down to Brave Inca at Leopardstown over Christmas.

He subsequently trailed home last of eight runners in the Irish Champion Hurdle, but an excuse for that lacklustre performance did emerge.

Meade continued: 'He had an infection when he got beat the last day, but he seems in good shape now and has scoped clean.

'He worked at home on Monday and he might be a forgotten horse as far as the betting concerned, but he doesn't know what price he is.

'I would like the ground to dry out a little for him, though.'

(C) PA Sport