Nicky Henderson offered an update on his Cheltenham Festival team yesterday, including some interesting news on several of his big guns.
The Seven Barrows trainer confirmed that Altior will seek a third Champion Chase, rather than step up in trip for the Ryanair, and could wear cheekpieces for the first time in a bid to sharpen him up.
Champ will be partnered by Nico de Boinville in the Gold Cup, suggesting he is the yard’s leading hope after an encouraging comeback in the Game Spirit last weekend, with Aidan Coleman to ride Santini, as he did in the Cotswolds Chase earlier this month.
Henderson also reported Epatante to be “back in the right place” ahead of the Champion Hurdle after a back issue which came to light following her defeat in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Kemboy set for another crack at Gold Cup
Willie Mullins says Kemboy will be aimed at the Gold Cup following his win in the Irish equivalent at Leopardstown earlier this month.
The nine-year-old has also won Grade 1 chases over three miles at Punchestown and Aintree in his career but has tended to underperform at Cheltenham, unseating and finishing seventh in the last two Gold Cups.
He had been given a Stayers’ Hurdle entry as an alternative, but Mullins confirmed yesterday that he will line up in the blue riband alongside stablemate Al Boum Photo.
Grand Paradis enhances Festival claims
The Martin Pipe has a new antepost favourite after the Gordon Elliott-trained Grand Paradis scored an emphatic success in the Grade 3 Michael Purcell Memorial Novices’ Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.
👏 Impressive
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 25, 2021
Grand Paradis makes it three wins from four career starts with a decisive victory in the €27,500 feature at @thurlesraces for @gelliott_racing & @jackkennedy15
Results & free replays ➡ https://t.co/sBcsavHpYf pic.twitter.com/2LDOsWhtI1
The five-year-old has been cut into 6-1 favouritism for the final day handicap, displacing stablemate Wide Receiver at the head of the market.
It remains to be seen, however, whether he will be afforded a low enough mark to get in - the race has a ceiling of 145 and yesterday’s runner-up, Goodbye Someday, is rated 140 and was beaten 13 lengths.
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