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Positive bulletin issued for Champion fancy Identity Thief

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IDENTITY THIEF

Identity Thief (left) winning the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle

  PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)  

 By Keith Melrose 7:37AM 22 FEB 2016 

WITH the vacuum left by Faugheen in the Champion Hurdle still to be filled, connections of Identity Thief on Sunday delivered an upbeat assessment of the chances of the Fighting Fifth winner, a best-priced 13-2 for the race with William Hill.

Identity Thief was last seen coming off worse in a battle with Nichols Canyon at Leopardstown over Christmas, though he had travelled the better that day and trainer Henry de Bromhead seemed hopeful on Sunday of a reversal at Cheltenham.

“I presume we will get nice ground [at Cheltenham] and I think it will suit him,” said De Bromhead. “He won his bumper on yielding and it was nice ground when he won at Down Royal earlier this year too.

“I have been delighted with him. Obviously the absence of Faugheen opens the race right up and I just hope we get there in one piece now. He had a tough race with Nichols Canyon over Christmas so it was nice to back off him for a few weeks. He looks well now and seems very well in himself.”

De Bromhead has unfinished business with the Champion Hurdle. Future Champion Chase winner Sizing Europe suffered an injury during the 2008 renewal, won by Katchit, for which he had been sent off the 2-1 favourite.

Improving all the time

Identity Thief started the season with a best RPR of 141 and is probably the most progressive of all the major Champion Hurdle contenders. It is not just his form that is improving, according to regular work rider Andrew Lynch.

“His jumping is much slicker now than it was earlier in the year,” Lynch told the Racing Post on Sunday. “He’s not giving his hurdles as much air now and that is a big help.

“He’s a proper horse; he has loads of pace. I think he’ll take a bit of beating in the Champion Hurdle.”

The idea that Identity Thief is a genuine contender for championship honours has been slow to gather momentum- he was available at 33-1 even after winning the Fighting Fifth.

 

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