Poet on trial for hurdling crown

JOHN FRANCOME is hoping to witness some poetry in motion at Sandown on Saturday which could lead to his horse having an ambitious tilt at the Champion Hurdle. The seven-time champion jockey and former Channel 4 racing pundit owns Clive Cox-trained Poet. A promising winner on his hurdling debut at Newbury last month, Poet secured two wins at Group Three level on the Flat and is due to line up in the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle. Francome, 60, who is Cox’s landlord, has done the hurdles schooling on the eight-year-old, who appears a changed horse after being gelded. Francome said: ‘He wouldn’t walk over a pole on the ground when we started him off but the more he has jumped, the better he has got. ‘I thought he really enjoyed himself at Newbury and I think he’ll be good on Saturday. ‘I bought him as a little bit of a project for me really and to do the schooling. It’s something Francome: ambitious I’ve never stopped since I packed up — I still love it. ‘It would have broken my heart letting someone else ride him. ‘He has taken the gelding well — he’s changed shape but is about the same weight. He is not easy but he is easier. ‘There was a time when you could just not manage him. He is a bit stronger and you’d like to think he is a bit happier.’ Coral make Poet 20-1 for the novice hurdles at Cheltenham and 66-1 to emulate Alderbrook, who landed the Champion Hurdle in 1995 as a novice after only one previous run over timber. Francome added: ‘He has been running against the likes of Cirrus Des Aigles and Workforce on the Flat, so a couple of Bumper winners aren’t going to have him off the bridle. ‘It might be that he finishes fifth on Saturday and we have to have a rethink but at the moment I’d hope he’ll run well.’