Alan Fleming cannot understand why Starluck is 16-1 for the Champion Hurdle, and believes his "dark horse" has current favourite Go Native to beat.
Having been off the track since finishing just a short-head behind Go Native in the Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day, the five-year-old showed a fantastic turn of foot to land the digibet Casino Handicap over a mile on the all-0waether surface at Kempton last night, and Fleing believes that victory will have put him spot on for the big one on March 16.
Fleming told Attheraces: "We went to Kempton hoping he'd have a good blow and come out of it safe and sound, so to win was really a bonus He was running a nice race and then when Liam (Keniry) gave him a slap, he really took off and has done it well.
"That should leave him spot-on for the Champion Hurdle and he's an easy horse to train so we'll just tip away with him now and keep him to his normal routine.
"People will say Cheltenham doesn't suit but he is a much stronger horse this year and has even improved a good bit since the Christmas Hurdle.
"If he does handle the track, I think he could be the dark horse for the Champion Hurdle at around 16-1. I can't undertsand why he is that price when Go native is 4s. I would definitely rather be backing mine each-way at 16s although Go Native is the one we have got to beat."
