Nicky Henderson has left the door open for a tantalising Gold Cup tilt with Structure Hill after the hurdling star was entered for the Royal Ascot showpiece.
The 2023 Champion Hurdle hero is ready to strut his stuff at Punchestown on Friday in a bid to get again to successful methods following falls at each Cheltenham and Aintree to date this spring, however the Seven Barrows handler is eager to present him the choice of making an attempt his hand on the Flat in the course of the summer season.
“It’s something we’ve discussed over the last couple of years to be fair,” Henderson informed the PA information company.
“Due to the fact he’s had two tumbles, you could say Flat racing is a good idea, but that’s not really the point and it’s something we’ve mulled over and discussed for a good year or so.
“I do know we schooled him over fences, as you noticed within the movie I put out on Sunday, however he will not be going chasing and the Flat is another choice.
“We have every intention of running at Punchestown on Friday and the plan is to travel on Wednesday, but after that we will take a view.”
The Structure Hill staff as soon as thought of heading over fences, however working within the Flat model of the Gold Cup reasonably than the three-and-a-quarter-mile Cheltenham version seems extra seemingly after he was certainly one of 25 entries for one of many highlights of the Royal assembly.
Potential rivals embody Aidan O’Brien’s Kyprios, who will hope to notch a 3rd win within the Group One occasion, final 12 months’s St Leger winner Jan Brueghel and James Owen’s dual-purpose performer Burdett Street, an everyday challenger to Structure Hill over hurdles.
Nonetheless, there’s lots nonetheless to be thought of earlier than the 10-times hurdles winner is given the go-ahead to deviate from timber for the primary time in his illustrious profession.
Henderson continued: “I’m certainly not ruling it in, but I’m certainly not ruling it out, otherwise I wouldn’t have put him in the race.
“There are two drawbacks to Ascot and one is the bottom. Then you must contemplate the timing, it is June however then that isn’t too far-off and it isn’t like you must hold him going ceaselessly.
“I’m not going to rule it out, but you also have to consider he’s never been in a starting stall and then he’s probably more of a two-miler than a two-and-a-half-miler over hurdles, in which case does he even stay two and a half on the Flat?
“The bottom could be the obvious purpose to not do it, however from time to time you do get a slow-ground Royal Ascot. We’ll simply see what occurs this week (at Punchestown) and the following couple of weeks as nicely.”
