Might Bite, the runner-up in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, will go straight to this year’s race on 15 March without another run and following a wind operation on Thursday, with Nicky Henderson, the chaser’s trainer, predicting there is an “eight out of 10” chance it will address the abrupt decline in his form this season.
The 10-year-old set off as the even-money favourite for the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and the 3-1 favourite for the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. He finished last of the five starters on his seasonal debut and seventh of 10 at Kempton, folding rapidly in the latter contest after a mistake at the 13th fence to cross the line 37 lengths behind the winner, Clan Des Obeaux.
The horse was reported to have bled from a nostril after the King George but Henderson has now decided to repeat an operation performed in 2016 to cauterise Might Bite’s palate.
“We have not heard any noises [during morning exercise],” Henderson reported via a blog post. “But after considerable discussions with our experts they suggest this may be the best course of action. It is not a 100% cure but eight times out of 10 it is respiratory, so it makes sense to go ahead with the procedure.”
Henderson added that while Might Bite “appeared to bleed last time, I’m not sure that it was quite enough to stop him, but if there is any shortage of oxygen getting to a horse, you are obviously putting pressure on the lungs, which can causing bleeding.” As a result, it is “perfectly reasonable to expect the two issues to tie in together, so that is the line of thought and our conclusion to the matter.”
Might Bite had an 80-day break before his brave effort behind Native River in last year’s Gold Cup but arrived at Cheltenham on the back of a victory in the King George rather than a flop. Having been a 4-1 chance for the Gold Cup in early November, he is now available at 16-1 to rediscover his winning form at the Festival.
Lingfield 12.30 Arkyn 1.00 Geordie B 1.30 Hint Of Grey 2.00 The Game Is A Foot 2.35 Bastien 3.05 Bonza Girl 3.40 Bonds Conquest
Wetherby 12.45 Statuario 1.15 Little Millie 1.45 Abbreviate 2.20 Redzor 2.55 Nortonthorpelegend 3.30 Prince Llywelyn
Kempton 2.10 Magicinthemaking 2.45 Blaze Of Hearts 3.15 Anycity 3.50 Family Fortunes (nap) 4.20 Deep Intrigue 4.50 Arlecchino’s Arc 5.20 Far Cry
Wolverhampton 4.05 Tarseekh 4.35 Tor 5.10 Jeremy’s Jet 5.45 Skydiving 6.15 Viola Park 6.45 Freedom And Wheat (nb) 7.15 Robert L’Echelle 7.45 Proceed
