Trainer Nicky Henderson gave updates on his ultra-strong Cheltenham Festival squad during a media day at his Seven Barrows stables – including Altior, Epatante and Santini his contenders for the championship races at the four-day extravaganza which gets underway on Tuesday, March 10.
The Lambourn maestro is the second most successful trainer in history at the Cheltenham Festival with 64 winners, one behind great rival Willie Mullins, and has been the leading trainer at the meeting nine times. Altior is aiming for a third successive victory in the Grade 1 Queen Mother Champion Chase over two miles, a feat achieved only once before by Badsworth Boy in 1983, 1984 and 1985. He is currently 9/4 with Ladbrokes to do just that. The 10-year-old tasted his first defeat over obstacles when stepped up in trip to 2m 5f in the Grade2 1965 Chase at Ascot in November, but bounced back with a dominant victory back at two miles in the Grade 2 Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.
Altior is unbeaten in four starts in Grade 1s at the Cheltenham Festival, having also captured theSupreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2016 and the Arkle Novices’ Chase in 2017. Henderson said: “All is going well with Altior. He has been ticking over since Newbury and will have a couple of schools before Cheltenham. I seldom school him but I think he just enjoys it.
“If we take Newbury as Altior‘s first run of the season, which you have to really, it was perfect. If you were coming into the Tingle Creek or something on the back of that, you would say we are absolutely spot on. It looks a seriously good Champion Chase and should be a big battle. Altior is certainly fresh and well now, and the better ground, the better he will be.”
Henderson’s record at the Cheltenham Festival includes an unprecedented seven winners in the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle. He is set to have five runners in the two-mile highlight this year and stunning Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle heroine Epatante who is the 100/30 favourite with William Hill.
The quintet also include last year’s Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle victor Pentland Hills – 5/1 second favourite with Paddy Power – fellow Grade 1 scorers Verdana Blue and Fusil Raffles, plus Grade 2 International Hurdle scorer Call Me Lord.
Henderson said “All five of them are in good form. We will probably have a game in the yard, trying to name the order they all finish in. I suspect nobody will get it right and I will keep the prize!
“Pentland Hills will have a racecourse gallop. You could excuse his run at Cheltenham – it was first time out, bad ground, he came there to win his race and he didn’t quite get up the hill. You have to say at Haydock, given he came there so easily, it was disappointing that he just got caught, but he still ran a very good race on horrible ground.
“Epatante is in very good form. I have read in places that she can only go on flat tracks and things like that, just because she did not run very well at Cheltenham the only time she has been there.
“Sure, if the same happens again this year, I will have to think again, but at the moment I have no worries. This time last year, I thought Epatante in the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (ninth) was one of our best chances of the week. It was very disappointing, but I could name a couple more who definitely did not perform because of the flu.”
Henderson’s representative in the Cheltenham Gold Cup is Santini, who was a fine second in last year’s Grade 1 RSA Chase and currently the 4/1 joint favourite with Betway to go one better and land chasing’s blue riband contest on Friday, March 13. The strapping eight-year-old has won both of his starts this term, scrambling home in a Listed contest at at Sandown Park before impressively beating the Nigel Twiston-Davies trained and Daryl Jacon ridden Bristol De Mai by 3 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Cotswold Chase on Festival Trials Day at the home of jumps racing.
Henderson said: “We know Santini likes Cheltenham. His run in the RSA last year was fantastic because we’d had a terrible time with him. We had a problem with his feet and then there were the flu vaccines, which meant he missed the Reynoldstown. He had no prep and no experience, so his run was remarkable. At least this time, we are coming in off a good prep. I admit he was not very impressive at Sandown first time out, which is why we cauterised him.
“The Cotswold Chase was always where we were going to go after Sandown. He was very good there and I think it was a good race. I know Nige and Daryl felt Bristol de Mai was as good as they could have him. The ground was also more his than Santini’s , but he still did it well. There should be lots of improvement from that. Santini is a very enthusiastic horse and loves his work. He needs a lot of work and the more you get into him, the better he is. He should be better horse this year because he is a lovely, big, old fashioned type of chaser. He is hardy too.”
Henderson has high hopes that Shishkin can get Seven Barrows off to a flyer in the traditional Cheltenham Festival curtain raiser – the Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. The Joe Donnelly owned six-year-old has won his last two starts in terrific style, most recently when strolling home in the Listed Sidney Banks Novices’ Hurdle at Huntingdon, and heads the betting at 11/4 with Betfred.
Henderson said: “I would like to think that Shishkin is one of our best chances of the week. He is a genuine two miler. The Supreme is a nice race to win if you can because it gets the ball rolling and the pressure off a bit.
“I think Shishkin is very good and in his bumper and novice hurdle, he has looked very efficient. He has got to prove himself yet and this will be a much bigger test, but visually he has been very impressive. He does not seem to lack experience, as he races very professionally, and then you can press a button at the finish, which makes life easier for him.
“Joe Donnelly has Shiskin and Asterion Forlonge. I was speaking to Joe before Asterion Forlonge won at Leopardstown and Joe said that Willie Mullins thought Asterion was a three miler but he was running him over two. Willie said the same himself on the TV afterwards. Joe is perfectly happy to run both in the Supreme. I asked Joe if he wanted to split them up, as I wanted to push Willie to two and a half, but Joe said he would be delighted to finish first and second. I said as long as it’s in the right order!”
Henderson’s novice chase hopefuls are led by Champ in the 3m Grade 1 RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase and Mister Fisher in the 2m 4f Grade 1 Marsh Novices’ Chase. Champ fell on his latest start when clear and poised for victory in the Grade 2 Dipper Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, while Mister Fisher found the drop back to two miles no problem when landing the Grade 2 Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster.
Henderson said: “Champ will have a racecourse gallop. He has been doing lots of schooling and seems in cracking form. I would have liked another run, and we were going to go to Kelso but that was off. There was one race left for him at Chepstow, but I did not want to send him there over three miles on testing ground. He will have a school somewhere over fences before Cheltenham.
“I would have thought Mister Fisher will go for the Marsh Novices’ Chase. I would be surprised if we didn’t, but he is quick and we will definitely have a look at the Arkle, as there does not seem to be anything in England blatantly obvious for that race. You may find that the two and a half mile is the stronger race, in which case we could drop back because I would not be frightened to. It could be late decision. He does want the best ground you can get though.”
Champ is the 3/1 ante post favourite with Paddy Power for the RSA, whilst Mister Fisher can be backed at tempting each-way price of 8/1 with Betway for the Marsh.