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One of last season’s top juvenile hurdlers, Starluck, lines up at Cheltenham tomorrow for his first race of the new National Hunt season. Trained by Alan Fleming, Starluck finished fourth in the 2009 Triumph Hurdle having headed to The Cheltenham Festival unbeaten over hurdles. He will face four rivals in tomorrow’s four-year-old hurdle.

Victory at Cheltenham on Saturday could make Starluck a possible for the £100,000 WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle on November 28th at Newcastle. He was regarded as the third best juvenile hurdler in Britain last year behind Walkon and the unbeaten Zaynar.

The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle is the first leg of the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown which takes in the three Grade 1 2m hurdle races run in Britain each season: The WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle, The Christmas Hurdle at Kempton and The Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham. Any horse that wins these three races in the same season will be eligible for a £1 million bonus.

The £1 million bonus for winning the WBX Hurdling Triple Crown sees £700,000 awarded to the owner, £150,000 to the trainer, £100,000 to the responsible stable lad or lass and £50,000 to the remainder of the stable.

Starluck is the highest rated runner in Saturday’s race with an official mark of 147 and will be partnered by Timmy Murphy. Alan King has two horses in the field with Silk Hall and Saticon representing the Barbury Castle trainer.

Iain Turner, PR and Sponsorship Manager for WBX.COM said, “This looks a typically competitive renewal of the first running of the 4yo Hurdle at Cheltenham. Two years ago we saw Katchit win the race, at Aintree, before contesting the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle and if we get an impressive winner then they could also head to Newcastle.

We are delighted with the horses rumoured to be heading to Newcastle for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle this year. With Punjabi, Al Eile, Sublimity, Red Moloney and Solwhit all possibles it looks like being another vintage renewal. Since we took over the sponsorship of the race in 2006 the quality of the race has improved and with the 2007 and 2009 Champion Hurdle winners scheduled to run at Newcastle we should have another top race.

The WBX Hurdling Triple Crown is the biggest bonus in National Hunt racing and with the record prize money in 2009 for the WBX.COM Fighting Fifth Hurdle of £100,000 I am sure we will see a top quality field going to post in November.

ENDS
For more information please contact:
Iain Turner, PR and Sponsorship Manager, 07742252944
www.twitter.com/WBXTRIPLECROWN