MISTER IS AS GOOD AS GOLD
EvEry stride Mick Channon has taken in the last three weeks — and there have not been many — has been agony but he is still hoping to be at Cheltenham on Saturday when Mister Whitaker attempts to prove he is one step ahead of some of the most exciting steeplechasers in training.
an attack of sciatica has struck down the England striker turned racehorse trainer. But if Mister Whitaker can land the feature Betvictor Gold Cup, it might help Channon forget the pain… if only for a few minutes.
The 13-2 shot, who will be ridden by adrian heskin, gave Channon his first Cheltenham Festival winner in March when landing the Close Brothers Novices’ handicap Chase.
he was a tidy two-and-a-quarterlength winner from happy Diva in the Colin Parker Chase at Carlisle at the start of the month.
The dream is that he might progress through the chasing ranks and be a legitimate contender for the ryanair Chase at the Festival come March.
Channon is also hoping Mister Whitaker, one of only five jumpers in his string, can extend the successful run of his stable on the Flat.
Eighty nine domestic wins is the best Channon haul since 2012 and Barbill’s win under Gerald Mosse in the Listed Prix yacowlef at Chantilly yesterday was the sixth significant victory a Channon horse has achieved overseas in 2018.
Channon said: ‘I have been in a bad way. I have had three weeks of sciatica and it has been unbearable at times. But for the first time this morning I felt a bit better and hopefully might be turning the corner.
‘The horses have been running well all year. We have had winners abroad as well and we have been thrilled with them.
‘The dream with Mister Whitaker is that he can go to another level. We have given him all the time in the world. Saturday is the big one. he has to step up again but we will have a go and not take a backward step.
‘racing is not life or death, but I enjoy training good horses and if you can get the right one you want to go to the big meetings.’
Channon had endured Cheltenham Festival frustration, particularly with Somersby, before Mister Whitaker struck.
Both are owned by Tim radford and received their jumping tuition under the watchful eye of Gold Cup winning trainer henrietta Knight.
Jack Channon, son and assistant to his father, believes Mister Whitaker’s jumping is key, saying: ‘he is so economical at his fences. he gets up and over with no fuss. he saves so much energy at his fences, it leaves so much for the finish.’
Mister Whitaker will need to be near flawless. his main rival in the betting is Nicky henderson’s rather Be.