Cheltenham© Photo Healy Racing
Lil Rockerfeller has been supplemented for the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham on Tuesday at a cost of 20,000 pounds.
Trainer Neil King and his group of owners have decided to take their chance in the Grade One feature following the five-year-old's recent success in the Grade Two National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell.
The absence of the injured Faugheen prompted King to take another look at the two-mile championship and after Lil Rockerfeller picked up over 45,000 pounds in prize money for his Fontwell win, his connections were willing to take a chance.
"We entered him in the Coral Cup and the World Hurdle, but handicaps are out now and he's never run over three miles," said King.
"The day Faugheen was ruled out I was on my way to Fontwell and looking at the race, it seemed very open.
"I had a chat with the owners and they were excited by the idea, but we said we'd still head for the National Spirit as that had always been the plan.
"If he'd got beaten at Fontwell I'd have shot myself, but the manner of his victory was very impressive.
"He's an improving, young horse and it's so wide open we have to have a go, also the yard is in such good form - from our last 11 runners we've had five winners and five seconds.
"Confidence is high, as it is with Trevor (Whelan), our stable jockey, and the owners are playing with prize money so when you weigh it all up, we thought 'why not?'.
"Everyone tells you how hard it is for five-year-olds and by now I expected him to be running over three miles, but he just keeps on improving."
