Menorah set for chasing campaign Philip Hobbs is looking forward to seeing his top-class hurdler Menorah embark on a novice chase campaign within the next couple of months. After lugging top-weight to victory in the Greatwood Hurdle and proving too strong for the much-vaunted Cue Card in the International, Menorah was strongly fancied to score again at his beloved Cheltenham in the Champion Hurdle. But he came up short on the day, finishing fifth behind the awesome Hurricane Fly, and occupied fifth behind the same rival in the equivalent race at Punchestown. Hobbs feels his charge comes up narrowly short against the best in the two-mile hurdling division and has therefore turned his attention to jumping fences. "Menorah is in good order and the plan is for him to go novice chasing, starting off in late October," said Hobbs. "I wouldn't be sure where he'll start or anything at the moment. We just need to find a novice chase, so there are plenty of options. "I think realistically, he is probably in the top 10 or 11 two-mile hurdlers. "But if you're going to be a Champion Hurdle horse, you need to be in the top three or four, so I think we're better off going novice chasing."
