Former Champion Hurdler Katchit Ruled Out For Rest Of Season

Fans of the 2008 Champion Hurdle winner Katchit are going to have to wait until next season to see the Alan King-trained gelding back on the racecourse, after it was announced that he has been placed on the easy list and will miss the rest of the term, writes Elliot Slater.

The seven-year-old Kalanisi gelding has had just the one outing this term when chasing home Australia Day in the Williamhill.com Hurdle at Kempton in October, and it appears that the injury that is set to keep him on the sidelines was sustained during the course of that event.

King has stressed to irish racing pundits that Katchit is suffering from only minor damage to his leg, but connections don’t want to take any chances with a horse that has given them so many great days at the races.

Last season King stepped Katchit up from two to three miles in a bid to make him a genuine contender for the World Hurdle, the feeling being that the horse had lost a touch of speed and was struggling to remain competitive at the highest level over the minimum trip. Although showing signs that he did stay, including when a good third to Tidal Bay in the Grade 2 Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham last January, Katchit failed to cut any ice in the World Hurdle itself and trailed home in 11th place behind the imperious Big Bucks.

As well as landing the Champion Hurdle at his beloved Cheltenham racecourse, horse racing Ireland pundits note how Katchit also won the JCB triumph Hurdle at the Prestbury track back in 2007 and has been a revelation since switching from the Flat, (where he was trained by Mick Channon to win just one of 16 contests), to the winter game.