RACING NEWS:NICKY HENDERSON plans to find one more race in which to further Finian's Rainbow's education before Cheltenham after he came home alone in the three-runner Zenergi Novices' Chase at Newbury yesterday.
Henderson has his eyes firmly on the Arkle Challenge Trophy in March, believing Finian’s Rainbow is a specialist two-mile chaser, despite having taken a staying route over hurdles which culminated in a fifth-placed finish behind Peddlers Cross at the last Festival.
His introduction over fences at Newbury in November featured extravagant leaps interspersed with shaky mistakes and he was again too bold at a couple before finding his feet.
Tail Of The Bank was the only one capable of making a contest of it but he was beginning to lose touch when falling at the third-last. Finian’s Rainbow was eased-down to finish 51 lengths clear of Babysitter and maintain his position at the head of the Arkle betting. “He was actually very good, apart from diving at one along the back. He’s a bit fresh and he’ll need another run,” Henderson said of the 2 to 13 favourite. “I suppose the Kingmaker at Warwick or the Pendil at Kempton would be races to look at. We worked out he’s really a two-miler and the Arkle is very much the plan. Barry (Geraghty) said just wait and see how he jumps on better ground.”
Henderson had made giant inroads into the lead of defending champion trainer Paul Nicholls with his five-timer at Kempton over the weekend, but Nicholls managed to inflict some minor revenge in the Berkshire Stand Bookshop Juvenile Hurdle.
Henderson saddled the 1 to 2 favourite Titan De Sarti but he was no match for Nicholls’ latest French recruit, Cedre Bleu (100 to 30), who galloped 10 lengths clear.
Quotes quickly came through from bookmakers for the Triumph Hurdle but Nicholls looked at Cedre Bleu, who is built like his giant Gold Cup-winning stablemate Denman, and said: “He’s not that sort of horse – he’s a chaser for next autumn. You only have to look at the size of him. He won’t do much this season, maybe a run or two more at somewhere like here again.”
Two more winners came Henderson and Geraghty’s way, firstly when Kerada (5 to 4), who had shown a useful level of form over hurdles, made a smooth transition to fences in the EBF/TBA Novices’ Chase. Henderson said: “Just like she was over hurdles, she can be a bit silly over her fences and we’ve kept popping her over a few on the gallops. The plan would be to get in two more runs then come back here for the mares’ final.”
Tour D’Argent (10 to 11 favourite) overcame evident inexperience in the Pashmina UK “Junior” bumper, with the trainer adding: “That was for experience. He’ll probably go somewhere else, but nowhere smart this season.”
Pride In Battle (11 to 8 favourite) ground out a second course-and-distance victory in just over a month in the Rutland Antique Centre Bakewell Novices’ Hurdle.
“He was in front for quite a long way but he’s progressive,” trainer Alan King said of the gelding, who is owned by Elizabeth Pearce, the wife of former England footballer Stuart.
“I have always thought a lot of him but it is only since we stepped him up in trip that I have been proved right.”
