JUMPS trainers across the land are walking on eggshells at this expectant time of year and few show the range of emotions more vividly than Nicky Henderson. At Huntingdon yesterday, Henderson’s mood swung from fearful agitation to garrulous relief as Afsoun overcame alien conditions to reaffirm his credentials as the best four-year-old hurdler around.
Henderson has won the Triumph Hurdle three times — with Alone Success, First Bout and Katarino — and Afsoun could make it four next month. The field he beat in the Chatteris Fen Hurdle lacked the size and stature of the crush he can expect at Cheltenham but his victory was impressive.
The track was too sharp and the ground too fast for a horse with ample stamina but Mick Fitzgerald rode him close to an earnest gallop set by Ellerslie Tom and, easing to the front three from home, beat Kalmini by an unextended ten lengths.
Having walked “every blade of grass” and seriously considered adding Afsoun to a long list of non-runners, Henderson cast around for reassurance that his own view of the performance was not rose-tinted. He was not disappointed.
“I hate this sort of thing and nothing was quite ideal today but I was desperate to go through with it,” he said. “He does get a bit buzzed up and I’d got him ready for the abandoned meeting at Cheltenham, so I didn’t dare wait another week — you can only bring your soup to the boil for so long.”
Advertisement
Surrounded by members of the Million In Mind partnership — seeking a second Triumph winner after the success of Mysilv — Henderson was positively beaming. “They’ve gone a proper gallop and I have a serious respect for Kalmini, so I’m thrilled with that. We already know he likes Cheltenham and we know he stays, so we can go there with hope.”
Mister Hight, trained by Willie Mullins and the leading Irish hope for the Triumph, has his preparatory run at Leopardstown on Sunday but British trainers hoping to put the finishing touches to Festival prospects this weekend could be thwarted by another cold snap.
Newbury, due to stage the prestigious totesport Hurdle card tomorrow, is certain to call an inspection unless the forecast changes. Mark Kershaw, the managing director, said: “The latest information is that we must expect minus 3C on Thursday and Friday nights, so it just depends how quickly the daytime temperatures rise.
“We have brought in extra frost covers and we have three acres of the track under blankets now, so there is little more we can do other than hope. I’m optimistic that we’ll be OK but contingency plans are being put in place for the two graded races.”
Will Lambe, spokesman for the British Horseracing Board, confirmed that the Aon Chase and the Game Spirit Chase will be rescheduled for next week if Newbury is abandoned, but added: “It’s highly unlikely that the whole meeting will be rerun as we agreed to do for Cheltenham last month.”
Advertisement
Paul Nicholls, who could face a serious headache in repositioning Kauto Star, the Champion Chase favourite, was disappointed by this negative news, saying: “In this day and age, I can’t see why the meeting shouldn’t be rescheduled for Sunday.
“As it is, declaration time tomorrow will be a nightmare and some of my novices will have to be double declared. For instance, if the totesport Hurdle is lost, I’ll have to take Natal and Noland to Exeter on Sunday.”
Alan King, who added a Huntingdon double to his already impressive season, has taken Mughas out of the totesport Hurdle, for which 26 were declared yesterday. “I walked the track at Newbury yesterday and I couldn’t find much good ground there,” he said. “It’s good to firm pretty much all round but it should be all right for Penzance and he still runs.”
Henderson, who trains in nearby Lambourn, was also concerned about conditions. “Unless you’ve got fast-ground horses, there’ll be no point in running at Newbury,” he said, adding that Crozan, his leading novice chaser, will definitely miss his engagement. And, suddenly, his sunny face was clouded with worry again.