Go Native chasing the million Go Native is bidding to go one better than Punjabi, who plundered the Fighting Fifth Hurdle twelve months ago but tipped up at the second-last in this contest, in the williamhill.com Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, Punjabi then went on to win the Champion Hurdle which made his mishap all the more costly as betting exchange firm WBX.com put up a £1million bonus for any horse who can win all three races. Davy Condon replaced the suspended Paul Carberry on Noel Meade's Go Native at Newcastle and is in the saddle once more. He hailed the six-year-old as the best hurdler he has ridden. "It's brilliant of Noel and the owners to put me up on him again, I'm very graeful," said Condon. "I was down at the yard on Tuesday and he worked great. "Kempton should suit him well, it's a flat track and he's got loads of gears, he's a real good-actioned horse and he just wants goodish ground, not firm, but good to soft is fine. "He doesn't necessarily need a decent gallop - like he showed the last day he can quicken up off a slow pace so I'd say whatever pace the race is run at he'll have a good chance because he was very impressive the last day. "He's definitely the best hurdler I've ridden, I couldn't believe how well I was going turning into the straight at Newcastle. Going to the third-last I knew we had the race in the bag. "With Harchibald (dual Christmas Hurdle winner) being retired he'll probably step into his shoes because he's got loads of gears and he jumps real quick as well and he might never have to go chasing because he's such a good hurdler."
