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Oscar Whisky confirmed for hurdles campaign

Oscar Whisky (right)

Owner Dai Walters has confirmed Oscar Whisky will remain over hurdles this season instead of embarking on a career over fences.

Third in the 2011 Champion Hurdle, Nicky Henderson's seven-year-old was stepped up to longer distances last term and won four times from six starts.

He seemingly failed to stay the three miles when fifth in the World Hurdle at Cheltenham in March and showed two and a half miles is probably his ideal distance when signing off with a second victory in the Aintree Hurdle.

Walters would love to see his pride and joy complete the hat-trick next April.

He said: "He's going to stay hurdling this season and he'll start off in the race at Ascot on the 24th (Coral Hurdle). He fell at the last in that race last year.

"This will be his last year hurdling. The plan would be to go over fences with him next season if all goes well.

"He'll go to Ascot and then probably to Cheltenham for the two-and-a-half-mile race he won last year (Relkeel Hurdle).

"We'll play it by ear but he could go to Fontwell in February (National Spirit Hurdle) and we might just miss Cheltenham and try to win the Aintree Hurdle for the third year in a row, that would be very nice."


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