Old Favourite Sublimity Back To Winning Ways

Trainer Robbie Hennessy’s grand servant Sublimity returned to the winners’ enclosure for the first time in over two year’s when getting the better of a tremendous tussle with the 2006 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Newmill in the McCarthy Insurance Group Hurdle at Cork on Monday, writes Elliot Slater.

The 2007 Champion Hurdle winner has had plenty of ups and downs since his famous Cheltenham triumph over Brave Inca, but has found victories hard to come by despite a number of fine efforts. An injury last year to a suspensory ligament placed the now 11-year-old’s career in serious jeopardy, but he has recovered well and proved at Cork that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the right grade.

The clear pick on official ratings according to those looking at betting tips regularly, Sublimity was given a patient ride by Andrew Lynch as Newmill established a long lead. After gradually moving closer, Lynch delivered his mount to challenge at the last but then had to get to work as Newmill found extra reserves and made a serious fight of it, eventually only giving way to Sublimity in the last 75 yards.

Plans are now afoot for the Selkirk gelding to tackle the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas on January 15 over two-and-a-half miles, before possibly having a crack at the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown at the end of the month, a race in which Sublimity finished third last year to Solwhit. Monday’s win was the ninth in a 33-race career, both on the Flat and over hurdles, in which Sublimity has now amassed over