DAVID Hill is struggling to find a lead-up race for champion River Verdon's bid to complete an historic Triple Crown.
The seven-year-old dismissed his critics in one breathtaking 200-metre section at Sha Tin on Sunday as he distanced himself from his Gold Cup pretenders.
His 61/4-length victory over Deerfield set him up for the Champions and Chater Cup on May 15 where victory would clinch the Triple Crown.
Hill said yesterday: ''There just doesn't seem to be a race for him before the big one.
''I could send him out carrying 140 pounds over 1,800 metres giving lumps and lumps of weight away to all his rivals but you don't keep horses in their prime for very long doing that.
''Alternatively there is the Chairman's Prize over 1,200 metres a week before but that is a bit soon.
''But the way it is looking I may be forced to take that route as the basic problem is the programming caters for the not so good horses.'' Hill added that there were no intentions of sending River Verdon abroad to compete during the off-season.
