Alexei takes Kingwell Hurdle crown, now for Cheltenham
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sat 14 Feb 2026
Alexei booked his ticket for the Champion Hurdle with a workmanlike display in the BetMGM Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.
Stepping out of handicap company having won the Greatwood Hurdle and a valuable prize at Ascot already this season, the Joe Tizzard-trained gelding proved he was at least up to Grade Two level.
Travelling strongly, Brendan Powell tracked the front-running Rubaud into the straight and despite having a long look at the final flight, he jumped into the lead.
Rubaud kept him honest on the run to the line, but Alexei quickened up to win by a length and a quarter.
Tizzard was at Ascot, where he said of the 1-2 favourite: “He’s a good traveller through a race. Whether he’s good enough (for the Champion Hurdle) we’ll find out. One thing he will do is travel into it and if he’s good enough, he’s good enough.
“It’s exciting to have a runner in the Champion Hurdle, there’s a first time for everything, and this is a nice winner in its own right.
“I only watched the race on my phone, but from what I saw he did it nicely, it was his first time in graded company and he’s won.
“Rubaud is a good yardstick and he loves it round Wincanton, so I’m pleased.”
He added: “If you’d said to us in the autumn he was a Champion Hurdle horse, he was nowhere near it, but we’ve had a cracking season with him and we’ll roll the dice.”
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