Cheltenham Festival: Nicky Henderson gives Champion Hurdle team final workout ahead of Festival bid
IT was high fives all round as Nicky Henderson gave his Champion Hurdle hopefuls a pre-Festival spin on Tuesday.
The Seven Barrows trainer is set to be five-strong in the Day 1 feature and took Verdana Blue, Pentland Hills and Fusil Raffles to Kempton for an away day.
His trio pleased, although he admitted Pentland Hills – currently 5-1 second favourite – would need another spin before Cheltenham and that Fusil Raffles was only ‘all right.’
Henderson said: “It was good and they all did what they had to. It just puts an edge on them and you don’t judge them by results here. I was happy with Pentland and Verdana and Fusil was all right.
“Nico de Boinville was saying he remembers when he rode The Polomoche and Binocular never got to him here a fortnight before the 2010 Festival, but Binocular still won the Champion Hurdle.
“We know what the horses work like. One or two had a blow, that was fine and you take it will put them right, but a lot haven’t run for a bit and that is why they are here.”
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Epatante – the Unibet Champion Hurdle jolly – was not seen at Kempton, but it didn’t stop his trainer giving the mare a good mention when quizzed on his quintet.
He continued: “I was very pleased with Pentland but Epatante is surely the one for the Champion Hurdle. I could make a case for Pentland as he did that well, but he has another bit of work to come.
“I think that was a step forward for Fusil and Daryl Jacob was happy. He is a horse that comes to life on a racecourse.
“He certainly did twice last year and we have got to get him back to that. Verdana Blue is going to have to go on ground that doesn’t suit her, but she is in great form.”
One horse that will not form part of Henderson’s team for the Festival is impressive Doncaster scorer Glynn, who was as short as 14-1 for the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Henderson said: “Glynn is not going. He looked very good at Doncaster, but he hasn’t come back to that since then.
“He has only had one run and is a baby. Everybody wants to go to Cheltenham, but that tells me it wouldn’t be a sensible thing to do.
“I would like to find a nice little race, finish on a good note and put him away for next year. ”