YANWORTH NICKS IT IN KINGWELL

JASON HEAVEY YANWORTH, dubbed the “Orange machine”, continued to divide opinion after scrambling home in the Kingwell Hurdle yesterday. The horse was visually unimpressive in beating Ch’tibello and Sceau Royal and bookies lengthened his odds for the Champion Hurdle. But he still got the job done despite racing lazily and jumping sloppily – and finished with ears pricked. Yanworth has still only lost once over hurdles and his trainer Alan King was quite happy with the victory. He told the Racing Post: “Job done. Everyone knows we have not had an easy preparation with Yanworth as he had a little problem with a pulled muscle when he was meant to go to Sandown two weeks ago. “Considering his interrupted build-up he will definitely come on a lot for this run as he was only 90 per cent and this course will not be for him as it’s very sharp and he needs a proper gallop which is why we wanted to go to Sandown.” King will be hoping Yanworth can follow in the footsteps of stablemate Katchit in 2008, the last horse to win the Kingwell and the Champion Hurdle. In Ireland, the Champion Hurdle picture was muddied further when Jezki was turned over at Gowran Park by Tombstone at odds of 2-5. Tombstone’s rider Bryan Cooper said: “The one thing I wanted to do was knock the speed out of Jezki. He is still a Champion Hurdle winner and I had that in the back of my mind.”