Givemefive ‘in good nick’ for upcoming Cheltenham target

Givemefive is being readied for a return to the jumping game in the Masterson Holdings Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The four-year-old won his first two starts over hurdles last season for trainer Harry Derham and owners Smash Racing, a syndicate that includes Major-winning golfers Graeme McDowell and Brooks Koepka.

Having gone on to finish second in the Adonis Hurdle at Kempton and fourth in a Grade Two in Ireland at the end of his juvenile campaign, Givemefive returned from a summer break with a spin on the Flat at Haydock last month and Derham was delighted with his performance in finishing a close second.

“I was extremely pleased with how he ran, he just got tired in the last half-furlong but that didn’t come as a surprise to any of us,” he said.

“He’s in good nick. I’d imagine Cheltenham will be a very competitive race next Saturday, but he’ll go there with a prep run which will help him and hopefully he’ll run well.

“I think it will be a pretty good race from the horses that I hear are going, but it’s a really hard year for him as a four-year-old turning five, so it’s always nice to keep them in their own age group if you can.

“He’s in excellent shape and the prep run has done what we wanted it to do, so he’ll go there with a sporting chance.”

Derham has started the jumps season in excellent form, saddling winners at Stratford, Chepstow, Market Rasen and Wincanton since the start of October.

He added: “They’re in good nick. Lots of the horses won’t be running until November, but the horses we’ve run so far have run nicely, which gives everyone a bit of confidence, so it’s great.”