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Nicky Henderson: “This isn’t a penalty kick for Santini”
Luke Morris |

November 9, 2019

WE enjoyed a good day at Newbury on Thursday and Champ was obviously very pleasing on his chasing debut. It was a tough ask starting out over 2m6f and he had a good blow about three out but he gets the trip well and will definitely improve for the run. There is the option of going back to Newbury in three weeks time and running in the same race Santini won last year but that doesn’t fit in very well with the Kauto Star (Feltham) Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day so we’ll wait and see but he is as bright as a button this morning and has taken the race rally well.

We took Son Of Camas over to Punchestown in the spring when we, and most of the punters, thought he would win as he went off a ridiculously short priced favourite, but he never went a yard; it was embarrassing really. However, he made amends yesterday and put up a very good performance to beat his stablemate Timberman who is also a very nice horse. He is schooled and is all ready to go over hurdles which is what he’ll do next but I thought the run in a bumper would bring him on which it clearly has.

Diablo De Rouhet enjoyed the switch back to hurdles and seems to be getting better and better but as for the future I don’t really know. He has the option of the Ladbroke Trophy but I’m not sure a race like that is quite what he wants having just had a handful of runs over fences and still being a novice, therefore I suppose the right thing to do would be to aim for the Pertemps Final in March as, A, he’s now qualified and, B, that looks his race as I thought he looked extremely slick over his hurdles. I don’t think it was a great race yesterday but he tanked his way through it and is clearly on a upward curve so we’ll have a sit down and decide what to do, but we really ought to be going for the Pertemps.

Floressa was the one that got away and had she jumped the last more fluently she may well have got up as she lost plenty of momentum and Nico had to switch and as there was only a short head in it so you could certainly say she was unlucky. The aim is to return to the track for the Listed Mares race at the end of the month where, in theory, she has a good chance of reversing the form with Silver Forever because she’ll have to shoulder a 3lbs penalty for beating us only a short head.

Janika loved his day out at Exeter and won the Haldon Gold Cup in good style. To be honest all of the credit should go to Anthony Bromley who picked this race out and thought the drop back in trip would suit, so fair play it’s all down to him. The Peterborough Chase is definitely a distinct possibility but I’m more inclined to have a look at the Tingle Creek as he’s rated in the high 160s now which puts him right into it and without the Altiors of this world to contend with I think the 2m division could be quite open and he’s entitled to go there so Sandown is very much high up on the list of options right now.

Undoubtedly the only disappointment of the whole week was Rathhill at Down Royal last Saturday and unfortunately nothing has come to light following the effort. We’ve had him checked over and haven’t found anything untoward so we’ll re-evaluate the situation and see where we end up.

 

WINCANTON

 

3:00 G2 Unibet Elite Hurdle

Fusil Raffles (Daryl Jacob)

I wasn’t sure he would be quite ready for this but over the past ten days he’s really come on plenty and Daryl came and schooled him earlier this week so we made the decision to come here and I’m very happy with where we are with him. It was a shame we were forced to miss Cheltenham and Aintree but maybe it was a blessing in disguise as he was brilliant at Punchestown when I still thought he was awfully short (of work) but he did the job in great style. To be honest he hadn’t shown much before the Adonis so that victory was also something of a surprise by the manner of the way he did it. He’s grown a lot over the summer and will definitely make a chaser one day but for the time being this is the route we’re going and we’ll know a lot more about whether he’s a Unibet Champion Hurdle contender or not. I very much doubt he will run in the Unibet Greatwood Hurdle next week as he already has top weight and would then incur a penalty so it’s more than highly unlikely.

 

AINTREE

 

12:25 Novices’ Handicap Chase

Follow The Bear (Jerry McGrath)

He’s won a Point to Point and is definitely going to make a chaser and I thought he ran a great race when second on his chase debut at Worcester in September. I’m not convinced he really wants it this soft and I’m a bit nervous going back down in trip but stamina may come into play which will aid his cause.

Champagne Mystery (Nico de Boinville)

He makes his chase debut but has been placed in a Point to Point and jumps very well. To be honest he’s a very swift horse with plenty of speed and this track will really suit his running style. I like him a lot.

 

3:15 Hurdle

Top Notch (Nico de Boinville)

Everyone absolutely adores this horse and the place wouldn’t be the same without him. We’ve ran a few horses in this race as a stepping stone to other things and the Peterborough Chase is the first target for him. He’s as fit as I can get him at home but will definitely improve so might not be as sharp as some of the others.

 

SUNDAY – SANDOWN

 

1:50 Maiden Hurdle

Keen On (Nico de Boinville)

He proved he handled soft ground when we took him up to Perth in the summer and I thought he ran a very good race to finish second. He was entered over 2m4f at Aintree but 2m round Sandown is a great place to start and this is an ideal race to kick off his hurdling career.

 

2:25 Intermediate Chase

Santini (Nico de Boinville)

We have used this race for many of our second season novices including Might Bite who won it a couple of years ago as it’s a nice re-introduction and the time/conditions suit perfectly. This isn’t a penalty kick and he will definitely need the run but we have to get him started somewhere and this will put him right for the rest of the season.

 

READER'S QUESTIONS FOR NICKY

 

@jsfletch92

How are your hopes for Champagne Platinum this season? Possible Arkle contender?

He’s been doing a lot of his work and schooling with Champ and to be honest I think he wants further than two miles. We had him entered this week and he’s ready to run but I’m not sure where we’ll start him off just yet but it won’t be very long. And I do have very high hopes for him.

 

@Markunited20

Good day, Nicky. When will we get to see Shishkin?

He’s working and schooling well but probably has three of four weeks to go before we start looking for a race, but he could end up being extremely smart so I certainly won’t be rushing him. He’ll go straight over hurdles.

 

@swadlad

When will we see It Sure Is on the track?

I think he is a very nice horse and am looking forward to getting him out and similar comments apply to him as Shishkin!

 

@LukeMartin24

Have you decided on what you’re going to do with Dame De Compagnie and Apple’s Shakira? JP has some lovely mares for the season!

Yes, indeed, JP has many lovely mares which doesn’t make my job any easier I can tell you! We have been schooling Dame De Compagnie over fences with a view to going chasing so she’ll more than likely do that as she jumps very well and Apple’s Shakira will stick to hurdles. Countister, Never Adapt, Epatante are others we have to make a decision about what they will be doing.

 

@studenttipping

Hi Nicky, was just wondering how the very well bred Arturus is progressing and when we are likely to see him make his racecourse debut?

Hang on a minute, let me ask the owner as he’s here with me now! He will obviously attract plenty of attention because of his half-brother (Hurricane Fly) but he’s working very well and I’ve been pleased with everything he’s done to date. He’s coming on very well but we’re yet to decide whether we give him a run in a bumper or go straight over hurdles.

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