Nicky Henderson today spoke about his best chances for major honours at the 2010 Cheltenham Festival.The Seven Barrows trainer has a host of top chances as the Cheltenham Festival draws ever closer, but which are his best. Nicky Henderson takes you through the horses he thinks will win him yet more visits to the Cheltenham winners enclosure.

Nicky Henderson Cheltenham Festival Hopes Revealed

RSA Chase:

Nicky Henderson already believes Punchestowns and Long Run are the best two chasers he has ever trained. The pair are set for a fascinating clash in the RSA Chase for the man who has more Cheltenham Festival winners to his name than any other current trainer with a license.

“They are the two horses we are lucky enough to have who could go all the way,” he said. They have got two years to go but they are as good as we’ve had for a very long time. They’re as good chasers as I’ve ever had. My duty is to keep them in one piece for two years. We all need stars to come through and we all want them in our yard.”

Punchestowns and Long Run are both unbeaten in two runs over British fences but have rather different backgrounds. Long Run was a Grade One-winning hurdler at three and made an incredible debut in this country in the Feltham Novices’ Chase at Kempton before following up over two miles at Warwick. Punchestowns did start off in Flat races in France but made a quicker transfer and was second to Big Buck’s in last year’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle. His outings over fences have been in smaller events at Newbury and Sandown.

“Punchestowns stays three miles but is very good at two and a half – he’s not a slow horse,” said Henderson. I’d actually love to take Big Buck’s on again one day and come from behind him. But that would only happen if his chasing career falls apart. He will probably go to Newbury on Sunday for a wander. Long Run won’t – he will have a schooling session with Yogi Breisner on Tuesday and we have to be careful he’s not too fresh. Long Run is just very talented. There are not many who can go a genuine two-mile pace and can also stay three-miles at Kempton. It’s quite freakish really. We ran him over two at Warwick really for his future – if every race is to be over three miles, then his will be a shorter life.”

With Barry Geraghty set to ride Punchestowns, there is a ride to spare on the third string Burton Port, and the trainer was keen not to rule out the Reynoldstown winner.

“His owner Trevor Hemmings wants to run.” he said. He has nowhere else to go and he deserves to be there – in another year he would be our main runner. We’re not sure about jockeys – Andrew Tinkler gets on very well with him and AP McCoy can ride whoever.”

Punchestowns (right) RSA Chase Favourite

Triumph Hurdle:

A winning British debut at Kempton on Saturday by Soldatino has left the French recruit as Nicky Henderson‘s chief hope of retaining the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Zaynar’s victory 12 months ago was the fourth time Nicky Henderson had lifted the four-year-old highlight but several failures had left him searching for a suitable candidate for 2010. Step forward Soldatino, who took the Grade Two Adonis at Kempton last weekend by seven lengths.

“It was starting to look like there wouldn’t be one,” admitted Henderson. We did one piece of work with Soldatino and he hung all over the place. We were told he had to wear a hood, earplugs and a special bit when he came over so we were experimenting at Kempton. I hadn’t even galloped him. He did wear earplugs in the race – he’ll wear them again – but he was very sensible and relaxed and had his blows. He will come on an awful lot for it and I think you have got to be tempted to go to Cheltenham. It’s a big ask but it looks a pretty weak year. I thought that before Christmas when I said I would be amazed if we had seen the Triumph Hurdle winner by then.”

Nicky Henderson has written off the chances of According making the Triumph Hurdle has not yet unleashed Super Kenny. He said:

“Super Kenny is going to go to Newbury on Saturday but I am sure he wants good ground.”

Mille Chief has made a slight improvement from the setback that prevented him from running at Kempton this weekend but Alan King still believes he faces a race against time for the Triumph Hurdle.

Get your £25 Free Bet from Stan James