Burdett Road is not a certain starter in the Unibet Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham next month.
The Greatwood Hurdle winner was eased to 33/1 in places for the day-one feature of the Festival on the back of his narrow defeat to Golden Ace in Saturday’s Kingwell Hurdle and trainer James Owen admits he might now consider a switch back to the handicap ranks.
Speaking on Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday, he said: “I thought Burdett Road ran very well on ground that was probably softer than ideal.
“Sam (Twiston-Davies, riding for the first time at the weekend) got on well with him, we did our usual thing which is what we’ve done in our last two runs – made the running – and it looked like we have them burnt off coming down the home straight.
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“But a mistake two out just changed the complexion of the race really, Golden Ace - who probably looked the first beat – has come back and done us, having just outbattled us really in getting that weight (mares’ allowance).
“In the end, I think we’ve run well. It would have been lovely to go and win and then go straight to the Champion Hurdle, but this just opens the door up a bit. Do we go County Hurdle with plenty of weight and claim off him?
“Alex Chadwick has done so well for me at home, he rides this horse every day and we have that option so he’ll get an entry in the County as well.
“He’s only a five-year-old and I think on good ground yesterday, we’d have got the job done. The softer ground just went slightly against us, giving the weight away. He’s a horse with a high cruising-speed and with that ground and the make-up of the race, it didn’t let us use that to the best of his ability.”
Burdett Road is a 14/1 chance with Sky Bet (NRNB) for the County Hurdle.
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