Shock winner of the Christmas Hurdle, Silver Streak for Welsh handler Evan Williams will now head straight to the Champion Hurdle in March, with the grey now primed to run a huge race in the Tuesday feature.
Evan Williams leading grey hurdler made an impressive start to the season and his handler off the back of that targeted another crack at the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day having finished second in the event last year.
The handler truly believed his star seven year old could finally make the jump up to landing a Grade One event having finished Third in a Champion Hurdle two seasons ago and finishing second in this race last term.
With Kempton being a happy hunting ground for the gelding having landed back to back renewals off the Listed two miles hurdle contest on his seasonal debuts, it now does not look a surprise that he landed the event.
Having landed that event at Kempton he was stepped up to the Grade One Fighting Fifth against Epatante at Newcastle and unfortunately got bought out of the race at the second hurdle by a loose horse.
This then tempted Williams to run the gelding at Cheltenham last week in the International Hurdle having not done much at Newcastle and it almost paid off.
The shock of the season so far?! 🤔
— The Winners Enclosure (@TWEnclosure) December 27, 2020
SILVER STREAK got the better of 1/4 fav EPATANTE in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton yesterday! 😲
👏🏼 Certainly has to be considered as a Champion Hurdle contender now!
🎬 @RacingTV pic.twitter.com/cWgAXpqwAb
Heading into the race a live contender but the softening ground not helping his cause he went on to finish second in a photo-finish to the young pretender Song For Someone.
After that impressive run it set him perfectly for the test in the Grade One and undergoing a new front running tactic he was not for catching, beating Epatante by over six lengths.
Williams now has planned to give his stable star a little break and send him straight to the Cheltenham festival, with his chances relying on getting some good ground on the day.
(Credit ATR) “He deserved it, he tries every time and is very hard on himself,” said Williams.
“We talked and talked, and kept going through the race.
“The epitome of a fool is someone who keeps doing the same thing and expects a different result.
“We just thought we had to try something different – and thankfully it all worked out.
“It will be straight to the Champion Hurdle now, and we’ll hope for a dry spring – because he is a different horse on that ground.”