Fair Along to reappear At Cheltenham October 18th Trainer Philip Hobbs is set to give Fair Along his first start over hurdles for more than 18 months in the #20,000 Royal Gloucestershire Hussars "Help For Heroes" Handicap Hurdle (2.20pm), run on the second day of The Showcase, at Cheltenham on Saturday, October 18. The six-year-old gelding disappointed on his latest start over the smaller obstacles in the Grade Three Vincent O'Brien County Handicap Hurdle at The Festival in 2007, just three days after he had finished five lengths second to My Way De Solzen over fences in the Grade One Irish Independent Arkle Challenge Trophy Chase. The son of Alkalde, who was also runner-up in the Grade One JCB Triumph Hurdle at The Festival in 2005, returned to Cheltenham last season and stayed on to take third behind Master Minded and Voy Por Ustedes in the Grade One Seasons Holidays Queen Mother Champion Chase at The Festival. He has been successful twice at Grade Two level at Prestbury Park, beating the likes of Afsoun and Kasbah Bliss in the Concord At jet.com Juvenile Novices' Hurdle at The Open in 2005, prior to a nine-length victory over Natal in the Independent Newspaper Novices' Chase at the same meeting 12 months later. Hobbs explained: "We've entered Fair Along in the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars "Help For Heroes" Handicap Hurdle and he's entirely likely to run in the race. "He seems in good order. He was third in last year's Cesarewitch at Newmarket but we thought that we would miss the race this year because we have Liberate in this time around and I think that the race took a lot out of him last season. "He's rated 11lb less over hurdles and we thought that it might help him. The problem is that he's a bit in the twilight zone over fences because he's not quite good enough for the best at level weights and he would be carrying a lot of weight in handicaps. "So we've decided to give him a chance over hurdles. Hopefully, we will start him off at Cheltenham on Saturday and, if he runs a good race, we will take it from there."
