Epatante ahead of Triple in Fighting Fifth Hurdle

Newcastle, Saturday 26 November: The best steeplechase racing comes from Newcastle today for the classic Fighting Fifth Hurdle (5th race/15.10pm/100,000 pounds/3261m). Five horses will take part in the race, including Not So Sleepy (Jonathan Burke) and Epatante (Aidan Coleman), who shared victory in last year`s Dead Race.

The latter was thus successful for the second year running and Nicky Henderson`s mare would join the ranks of the winningest horses in this traditional test with another triumph. From her stable, Consitution Hill (Nico de Boinville) also registers first chances. The five-year-old, unbeaten in three appearances last season, last competed at Cheltenham where he won a Group 1 Novices` Hurdle by 22 lengths. At the same venue, Tommy`s Oscar (Danny McMenamin) did well to finish second in an Arkle Challenge Trophy trial (Group 2). The stakes are very high for Voix Du Reve (Conor O`Farrell).