Harry Fry's Unowhatimeanharry was a superb winner of the Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury on the opening day of their Winter Carnival and the JP McManus-owned star has launched himself into the picture for the Stayers' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
The former Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle hero faced a tough test against the likes of Sam Spinner and Wholestone, who were two of the most eye-catching Runners For Today and who have both collected notable crowns in Graded company over staying trips, but the ten-year-old veteran Unowhatimeanharry saw that duo off with aplomb and had to fight the finish out with Clyne, but Fry's charge prevailed by two-and-a-quarter lengths.
Cut to 20/1 with some firms for the Stayers' Hurdle, Unowhatimeanharry appeared to be struggling at the halfway stage as the front-running Monbeg Theatre had tested the field of stamina-laden warriors from the flag fall, but as fellow fancied runners Sam Spinner and Wholestone started to struggle turning for home, Unowhatimeanharry found himself at the front as the entered the closing stages.
With the ground to suit, Unowhatimeanharry was kept up to his work by Barry Geraghty and the pair saw off a gutsy Clyne with The Mighty Don staying on best of the rest to grab third spot.
A crashing fall for the eye-catching Momella in the home straight hindered an already beaten Sam Spinner, who sent Joe Colliver out the side door, but this afternoon was all about Unowhatimeanharry, who will be 11 years old when the Stayers' Hurdle is run on the third day of the Cheltenham Festival, and in such a wide open division it would be no shock to see him thereabouts for a race he finished third in in 2017 and tenth in last season.
