Punjabi has breathing operation Nicky Henderson has pinned his hopes on a minor breathing operation bringing Punjabi back to form in the Rabobank Champion Hurdle at Punchestown. The seven-year-old could only finish ninth of the 12 runners in his defence of the Champion Hurdle crown at Cheltenham last month but his trainer hopes he can put that run behind him on April 23rd. "He was beaten a short-head in the race last year and won the year before, so he likes Punchestown," Henderson told At The Races "We have just tinkered with his pallet since Cheltenham as it just affected him a little bit and he made a bit of a noise. "We've never heard it before but often in these cases you just want to get on and do something about it." Henderson also had news of his novice chase stars, including Long Run and Punchestowns, who will not run again this season. "Punchestowns is finished for the season sadly as he's got a fracture in his hock," said Henderson. "Thankfully it's not displaced and doesn't require any surgery. "Long Run is finished as well and we felt he was probably just a little bit over the top at Cheltenham. "He'd been on the go quite a long time and was probably a bit flattened. "Riverside Theatre will probably wait until Punchestown, French Opera could go for the two-mile novice chase at Aintree, with Mad Max going for the two-and-a-half-mile novice chase."
