Nichols Canyon Connections Pointing for Iroquois Bonus
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Photo: Courtesy Iroquois Steeplechase
Rawnaq wins the 2016 Iroquois Hurdle Stakes
The $500,000 bonus offered in the TVV Capital Iroquois Cheltenham Challenge is expected to be on the line at this year's Calvin Houghland Iroquois Hurdle Stakes May 13 as the connections of Nichols Canyon have told race officials they're pointing for the Iroquois.
Nichols Canyon became eligible for the lucrative bonus after winning this year's Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham. Trainer Willie Mullins told Iroquois officials that the 7-year-old Authorized gelding is being pointed to this year's Iroquois, after finishing third in last year's Iroquois.
Andrea and Graham Wylie's Nichols Canyon won the stakes at Cheltenham March 16 and the Iroquois, a three-mile steeplechase test at Percy Warner Park in Nashville, is scheduled to be his next test.
The connections of last year's Iroquois winner, U.S.-based Rawnaq, had hoped to go for the $500,000 bonus at Cheltenham, but a soft tissue injury knocked last year's Eclipse Award-winning steeplechaser out of contention. He's not expected to start again this season.
After watching Nichols Canyon win the race at Cheltenham, Iroquois Race Committee member and steeplechase horse owner Gigi Lazenby said she was looking forward to seeing another U.S.-based horse step up to the challenge this year.
"As American owners and trainers, we understand that (Nichols Canyon trainer) Willie Mullins is coming for us," Lazenby said. "As was demonstrated last year, American horses can certainly compete with the best the world has to offer. All of this elevates the sport to a new level, and we couldn't be more excited."