Cole Harden

COLE HARDEN looked "a million dollars" to Warren Greatrex on Thursday morning after the trainer took his World Hurdle winner for a pre-Cheltenham Festival sharpener at Kempton.

The seven-year-old is a general 8-1 chance to retain his title in the 3m championship, which will be sponsored for the first time this year by Ryanair.

“With just four weeks to go we're starting to step it up,” reported Greatrex, speaking at Kempton. “He's been working hard at home but we'll take him away twice and this is was the first. We'll look at coming back here or go to Newbury, basically putting the finishing touches on him, getting him much sharper but he looks a million dollars and I'm very happy with him.”

Defending champion

Ridden by Greatrex's head lad Graham Baines, Cole Harden galloped two miles at Kempton with work companion Kaysersberg (Gavin Sheehan).

“He did it very well,” said Greatrex. “He quite likes it coming for awaydays like this. He starts bouncing, likes the sun on his back. We're in exactly the right place where we want to be with the race four weeks away.”

Hoping for good ground

Greatrex did not seriously consider giving Cole Harden another outing before Cheltenham despite him failing to make much of an impact on his two starts this season, the last of which came on New Year's Day at Cheltenham.

“He ran in the Cleeve last year and it was probably his worst-ever run,” he explained. “It's so important to keep this horse as much as you can away from really bad ground. The better the ground, the better his chances. Good to soft would be fine but we just don't want it to be like it has been this winter.

“He's a stronger horse this year and we've been there and done it in the World Hurdle. We know we've performed at the highest level on the day, and though I'm wary of other horses – of course I am – I wouldn't swap my fella.”