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Nicky Henderson: “On The Blind Side has come back a much better horse this year”

Luke Morris |

November 1, 2019

WE'VE made a good start to the season and it was very pleasing to see Time Flies By win the Bumper at Cheltenham last Saturday. We were going to go novice hurdling with him but I thought he looked a little bit naive about the whole thing and wasn’t quite as forward as we originally thought so we decided to give him a run in a bumper to get some education and the result was very pleasing. Nobody had a clue about the ground, but it was the same for all of them and luckily he coped with it well and is clearly a very exciting person. We’ve sort of discussed what we might do next but have come to no decision yet and we may even think about leaving him for a year because he is still quite a big baby but one with quite a big engine so I’m keen to mind him.

We made some entries for the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle at Cheltenham later this month but as it’s an early closer it’s best to have them entered rather than not which explains why we have so many. The race is two weeks away so no decision has been made as to what is likely to run although I would say that it’s a very strong possibility that Fusil Raffles is highly likely to go as I’m not sure he’s going to be ready for the Unibet Elite Hurdle which is only next Saturday, in which case Pentland Hills may come into the equation for that. Rathhill runs at Down Royal tomorrow so we’ll have a better idea about him after that and Brain Power has returned from America in great form and taken those exploits very nicely so could also run in the Greatwood but he is ground dependant so also has the option of the Unibet International Hurdle next month. Countister, Epatante, Dame De Compagnie and Lust For Glory are all very good mares and one or two of them could easily take their chance but we’ll evaluate the situation closer to the time as there are plenty of good mares races out there too.

 

Runners at Ascot, Down Royal and Huntingdon this weekend and here’s what I think of their chances.

 

ASCOT

1:00 Novices’ Hurdle

Allart (Nico de Boinville)

He had one run in a bumper at Newbury and probably could have won although things didn’t go his way but I think he’s very useful, actually, and he jumps well. He’s done plenty of work and is experienced despite not having much actual racecourse experience. Paul Nicholls’s horse has a plenty high enough rating for what he’s achieved, and I don’t really like taking on 141 rated horses with a novice but he has to start somewhere. He’s got plenty of speed and is a proper two mile horse so I’m extremely hopeful.

 

2:45 Listed Handicap Hurdle

Adjali (Daryl Jacob)

He was our main Triumph Hurdle hope this time last year but he had a gruelling race at Chepstow in the G1 Finale Hurdle and I don’t think he ever truly recovered. However, he has really improved a lot over the summer and has come in fresh and a much stronger horse. He has an entry in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle and I suppose we’ll have a better idea about that after this race but he’s in great form and I think we’ll have lots of fun with him this season.

 

3:20 G3 Sodexo Gold Cup

On The Blind Side (Nico de Boinville)

Things just didn’t go right for him last season but I honestly think he has come back a much better horse this year and looks very much like his former good self and I am certainly not writing him off. He has a very good form to his name, not least beating Talkischeap at Kempton in January, and he finished the term well with a good effort at a Sandown over hurdles. I don’t think he’ll mind the ground and he’s very lightly raced for a seven-year-old and could still have his best days ahead of him.

 

3:55 Bumper

Felony (Nico de Boinville)

He’s a very nice horse who I like a lot. Obviously he’s never run so is bound to be a little bit green as I’ve not done an awful amount of work with him on the grass this year but he was nearly ready to run last back end so I expect him to finish closer to the front than the back.

 

DOWN ROYAL

 

1:30 Handicap Hurdle

Rathhill (Barry Geraghty)

He travelled over this morning and the good thing is you can run in a valuable handicap in Ireland having just had two runs over hurdles and this will give us a good idea about where we are with him. We have already decided that he’ll more than likely stick to hurdles this season as JP has such a strong division in the novice chase ranks and this horse has very few miles on the clock so it makes sense to stick with this for the time being. It’s a good race but he could be anything and he’s fit enough.

 

HUNTINGDON – SUNDAY

 

Captain Woodie (Jerry McGrath) and Known (James Bowen) take each other on in the Novices’ Hurdle at 1:10 and I was rather hoping the race would split but it hasn’t so they are both running. Captain Woodie has plenty of experience and has been working well so would probably have the advantage this time but it’s 2m4f on good ground which is what they both want.

Pym (Nico de Boinville) runs in the novice chase at 1:45 and will appreciate the better ground which is why we pulled him out of Cheltenham last week. He’s probably ‘wrong’ with few but is in good form and his schooling has been excellent.

 

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