Ante-post favourite for the Grade Two International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday Adagio will miss his engagement in the event after suffering a minor setback says trainer David Pipe.
The youngster made his debut in November at Warwick when winning a decent event and then two starts ago stepped over two miles at Cheltenham and finished a good second behind the Gordon Elliott trained Duffle Coat.
He used that form next time out to drop back in class and easily land the Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle over the same course and distance.
The gelding took the race with ease, travelling well throughout the race and Pipe then gave him his chance at the top level when sending him to Chepstow last time out.
Stepping up against Nassalam, Adagio was pitched into the Grade One Finale Juvenile Hurdle and was a superb winner, staying on in the final stages to dominate the field.
👏 Some training performance from @DSkeltonRacing
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) November 14, 2021
West Cork had been off the track for 631 days, but lands the £100,000 @unibet Greatwood Hurdle under @harryskelton89 at @CheltenhamRaces pic.twitter.com/pBwtxPclBT
With Grade One winning form, Pipe waited on him and sent him to Cheltenham in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle and he finished a superb second behind the smart Quilixios.
Looking to round of the season in style he went to Aintree for the Grade One Doom Bar Anniversary 4-Y-O Juvenile Hurdle and again had to settle for second behind Monmiral.
Kept over hurdles this term, Pipe sent him to Cheltenham for his seasonal debut in the Grade Three Greatwood Hurdle and off top weight he was a superb second of 19 behind a very well handicapped West Cork.
Looking to head back to Cheltenham this weekend up in grade, he was the 2/1 favourite to land the International but will now miss out on the race.
(Credit David Pipe's Twitter) Pipe said: “Unfortunately Adagio misses the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday due to a slight setback.”
