Nicky Henderson in bullish mood on run up to Cheltenham Festival- in an excellent article in the Daily Telegraph he tells of his thoughts ahead of the Cheltenham Festival.
Zaynar out to 6/1 with Stan James
For there is nobody better at serving up his Cheltenham offerings perfectly prepared, and while some might occasionally be a fraction underdone, you’ll never see them overcooked.
Hence, those ‘layers’ of Zaynar (at 8-1 generally) are taking the type of risks normally associated with an outbreak of salmonella. On Sunday, those dangers were underlined when Henderson, the first to train 100 winners this season, declared Zaynar to be “fine” after his recent Kelso excursion.
Zaynar, sent off a 1-14 favourite, had been beaten one length by the lumbering giant Quwetwo on Thursday, and while there must have been immediate concern that such a race on heavy ground might set him back, Henderson allayed those fears with an upbeat report.
“It was horrific ground, and he was not as straight as I wanted, but he has come through the race fine. He was racing alongside ‘a tank,’ who was ploughing through it. In fact, an extraordinary picture in the Racing Post shows Zaynar fetlock deep in that mud,” he said.
Henderson is clearly delighted he ran last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner for fitness reasons, as he now has every chance of getting him to post spot on for the Champion Hurdle, which the trainer may well end up dominating, even in the absence of the much-discussed Binocular, who has gone wrong.
The other piece of good news for Henderson is that Kempton Park are to add an eighth race on Saturday, which will be a replica of Wincanton’s abandoned Kingwell Hurdle in all but name. This will give him the opportunity to run Punjabi, the defending champion, who is still ridiculously long for the Champion Hurdle, at 11-1.
“I know it’s getting tight before Cheltenham, but I’d rather see him have the race than not have the race,” the trainer told me. Weather will remain a constant worry for all trainers with an eye on the Festival, and as Henderson reiterated: “The forecast is not good.”
Meanwhile, trainer Philip Hobbs reported all his high-profile runners from Saturday have come back in good order despite their disappointments. Dream Alliance, pulled up when toiling in Haydock Park’s Blue Square Gold Cup, is OK. “Unfortunately, he can be inconsistent, and can turn in a race like that,” Hobbs said.
Planet Of Sound has come back with a bruise to his left eye, but is otherwise fine following his fifth-fence fall in the Betfair Ascot Chase, and Menorah, overturned by Lush Life in a novices’ hurdle, will probably benefit from a truly-run Spinal Research Supreme Novices Hurdle.
Best finish of the day at Ascot featured amateur Josh Moore getting back up on Panjo Bere to beat Ruby Walsh on I’msingingtheblues in the Trisoft Handicap Chase. Moore is likely to cherish the picture of the finish for years to come. No doubt, he will also remember the Walsh pat on the back after crossing the line.
