Tres Touche fails in bonus bid

Tres Touche, winner of the Sport of Kings Hurdle at Atlanta and the Foxbrook Supreme Novices Hurdle, failed in his effort to collect a $100,000 Sport of Kings Challenge bonus, finishing third in the Relkeel Hurdle at Newbury, England, on Wednesday. He lost by 10 1/2 lengths to the victorious See You Sometime.

Ridden by the American-based Englishman David Bentley for trainer Ricky Hendriks, Tres Touche was sent off a 14-1 outsider as the co-highweight in the field of five.

Tres Touche raced up with pacesetting See You Sometime throughout most of the 2 5/8 miles, but a mistake at the next-to-last hurdle spoiled his chances.

The much-ballyhooed Magnus, at $493,000 the highest priced jump horse ever sold at public auction, finished last at 1-3 for perennial leading trainer Martin Pipe, reportedly having bled.

The Relkeel had originally been scheduled to be run at Cheltenham last Saturday, but was re-routed to Newbury after the Cheltenham card was abandoned because of frost.