Get the latest views from connections ahead of Grade 1 action at Aintree and Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
No fitness worries for Constitution Hill
Nicky Henderson is unconcerned about the lack of a recent run for Constitution Hill ahead of his bid for back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes Christmas Hurdle.
On what Henderson sees as the first day of a “new term” for his star pupil, he will belatedly get his season under way at Kempton on Boxing Day, with the weather having scuppered an intended defence of the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle.
The Seven Barrows trainer flirted with the idea of running the six-year-old in a rescheduled Fighting Fifth at Sandown seven days later, but ultimately branded the prospect of running in heavy ground just over a fortnight before his festive target as “physically not possible”.
“That (Newcastle) was the original plan and that is where he would have been, and we would have been on the same leg as last year. Unfortunately, we are not,” said Henderson.
“He was ready for Newcastle, and he is ready for Kempton. He is big and well and strong, he came in looking very well. At one stage I was a bit behind as he was so big. It took a bit longer to get the shape back into him, but that is long gone. He has had to do a bit more work as it is all very easy to him. His schooling is unbelievable.
“As we have always said, his temperament is such that it (journey to Newcastle) wouldn’t make any difference to him and he’s had an away day. If he comes through this and it goes like last year I’d be confident about the next bit. But the first day out of the year is crucial, it’s like a first day at school. He’s been good at home, but there are new kids on the block and he’s starting a new term. He has got to be as good as he ever was at Kempton, then we can look forward.”
With the privilege of training a horse of Constitution Hill’s stature comes no little amount of pressure, but it is something Henderson embraces.
He added: “If you guys (press) didn’t want to talk to us or there was no pressure then it would be time to give up as you have nothing to talk about. Sprinter Sacre was in this position when he was at his best. When he was in his first innings and at his absolute pomp, he was seriously unbeatable.”
Constitution Hill will be extremely cramped odds to dispatch of his Kempton rivals, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Rubaud seemingly his biggest threat.
The five-year-old is unbeaten in his last four starts, having landed the Dovecote at Kempton, the Scottish Champion Hurdle at Ayr, a Listed prize at Kempton and the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton – but Nicholls is well aware his latest assignment is an extremely difficult one.
He told Betfair: “He is going to be an awesome chaser next season, but his form over hurdles is so progressive he deserves a shot at this Grade One prize. While he has won his last four starts I realise he probably faces an impossible task against Constitution Hill, but we are giving it a go and if he finishes second we will be delighted.”
Henderson has a second string to his bow in First Street, while Kerry Lee has declared both Nemean Lion and Black Poppy.Alan King’s admirable veteran Sceau Royal completes the field.
Noel George backing Francais to be Kempton star
Il Est Francais will bid for a milestone success for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm in the Ladbrokes Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The five-year-old is trained in France by the young team and has been a true success story since joining the stable, running seven times at Auteuil and winning on all but one occasion.
Those victories include two Grade Threes and a Grade One, and most recently the gelding stepped up in trip to ease any doubts over his stamina when landing the Listed Prix Fondeur in heavy ground.
He now crosses the Channel to test his mettle against British-trained horses at Kempton, and George is hopeful he can make a mark.
“He’s got a very big reputation out here in France and we’re all just hoping he can show us a true running of his real ability,” the trainer said.
“It’s the first time he has travelled away from Auteuil obviously, but he is a horse who seems to adapt easily, so hopefully it won’t be a problem and he can show us how good he is.
“France Galop have been great and have accommodated us building British fences and they opened the grass gallop especially for us so he could do a grass gallop. He’s in great form and his prep has been perfect really and we can’t wait for it.
“It’s a bit of a dream and you grow up watching King George day at Kempton. I know it’s not the King George but it’s a Grade One on the same day and it would be a dream for myself and Amanda to win our first Grade One and if that was in England, then it would be amazing.”
Il Est Francais will face Paul Nicholls’ Hermes Allen in the contest, a Grade One-winning hurdler who made a perfect start to his chasing career when landing the John Francome Novices’ Chase by six and a half lengths on debut at Newbury at the start of the month.
He beat decent horses during that run and although this is a step up in class and distance, he does have three-mile point-to-point form on his side to answer the latter question.
“Hermes Allen hasn’t gone three miles yet under rules, but he has won his point-to-point over that distance and I’ve no issue with the trip at all,” Nicholls said.
“It will be exciting and he wants to be running in Grade Ones, as it was this time last year that he won the Challow Hurdle. He won well the other day having needed the run.
“I was delighted with him at Newbury and he couldn’t have done it any better. He jumped well and galloped well all the way to the line and he will improve for that run.”
Lucinda Russell will saddle Giovinco for the race, a six-year-old who made an impression on his last run when defeating the well-regarded Stay Away Fay in the Esher Novices’ Chase at Sandown.
The gelding is a previous Listed winner over hurdles and has point-to-point form, but connections are mindful of the depth of the race this year.
Peter Scudamore, Russell’s partner and assistant, said: “It looks a very tough race but he’s highly rated and there’s not many places we can go.
“It looks a particularly good renewal of the race so we go in hope rather than expectation, but obviously we hope he runs a really nice race.
“He ran a good race at Sandown and he has a chance of improving a bit from there, so we go in hope.”
David Killahena and Graeme McPherson will saddle the grey Marble Sands for the race, with Emma Lavelle set to run Tightenourbelts and Anthony Honeyball represented by Kilbeg King.
Cannock Park could put Paul Robson on the map at Aintree
It could be a memorable Boxing Day for Paul Robson when he saddles Cannock Park in the William Hill Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The fledgling handler, once a member of the riding fraternity before injury forced him to quit the weighing room, has an interesting back-story and splits his time training a small string with duties in his undertaking business in the Scottish Borders.
Robson classes training great Henrietta Knight among his close circle of friends and in Cannock Park may have found just the horse to join his great mentor on the big stage.
After some encouraging runs in bumpers, the five-year-old landed a telling blow at Cheltenham on his hurdling bow and his trainer feels he is more than worthy of his place in this Grade One contest.
Robson said: “I think he deserves his shot and at the end of the day we’re taking a step up, but so is Nicky Henderson’s horse (Jango Baie), he has only run once over hurdles. We’re in the same boat as him and the only difference is we have some bumper experience behind us.
“I think he beat some nice horses at Cheltenham and I would like to see it softer but even if it is good ground, I don’t think it would bother him. We haven’t run him on anything other than soft or heavy ground, so if it is good, it will be interesting to see how he acts on it.
“Liverpool itself will definitely suit him and looking at the form of the race, it could be lively – as there are plenty of front-runners in there.
“It looks a proper Supreme trial and I’ve looked at the race two or three ways from the aspect of which would I like to be riding and, at this moment, I would still be quite happy to be on my own. He’s got a high cruising speed and he stays well.
“There is plenty of depth to the race. We’re all excited and we don’t for any second feel we shouldn’t be in it, anyway. We’re there to give it a go and he will be going there as well as we have ever had him, so there are no excuses.”
Henderson has voiced his displeasure that this newly created race has replaced the Tolworth Hurdle but he could be the first to get his name on the roll of honour with the aforementioned Jango Baie.
The four-year-old just held on to register a nose victory over Tellherthename after the duo had a ding-dong battle up the Ascot straight and both are fancied to be thereabouts in this high-class event.
Henderson told Unibet: “The form of his Ascot win has worked out nicely, and while he takes on Ben Pauling’s horse again, I’d like to think our lad has come on for that first run.
“He handles the ground and could be quite an exciting prospect. Put it this way, we’ll know where he is in the pecking order after this.”
Since finishing second in that Ascot contest, Ben Pauling’s Tellherthename has bolted up at Huntingdon, with subsequent winners galore among the beaten horses.
“He’s a lovely horse with a lot of natural speed,” said Pauling.
“The Huntingdon race looked just a run-of-the-mill race in my eyes, and I expected him to win and he did win very nicely, but actually the form has worked out very well.
“The second (Lucky Place) came out and won by 13 lengths at Doncaster, the fifth (Soigneux Bell) has won by 11 lengths at Fontwell and the seventh (West Warhorse) has won by 16 lengths at Fakenham.
“He improved a lot from his first run, when he met Jango Baie, and he does seem to be in particularly good form with himself.
“I think he’s a very exciting horse for the future, we couldn’t be any happier with him at home and I’m looking forward to seeing how he gets on.
“It’s nice to see a proper Grade One contested by some nice, young horses.”
It was a novice hurdler that provided Fergal O’Brien with his first Grade One victory and now Kamsinas bids to another top-level strike, hot on the heels of the yard’s thrilling Long Walk Hurdle triumph with Crambo at Ascot on Saturday.
Whereas Poetic Rhythm’s 2017 Challow Hurdle success was built on pure stamina, O’Brien’s latest model possesses plenty of speed and showed lots of class when tasting Grade Two glory at Haydock last month, where he accounted for the reopposing Making Headway.
“We’ve loved him from day one,” said O’Brien. “He won his bumper for us and has done very little wrong since. He’s training very well and we’re really, really happy with him.
“He won his novice hurdle at Worcester and he won a Grade Two at Haydock and he deserves to take his chance.
“He’s a lovely stamp of a horse and we’re really looking forward to him. Fingers crossed he can run well.”
Gordon Elliott’s Farren Glory tasted Royal Bond success earlier this month and sets a high standard making the trip over from Ireland, while there is an international feel to the event with the addition of French raider July Flower, who will be ridden by Felix de Giles for handler Mickael Seror.
Nicky Richards’ Florida Dreams got off the mark over hurdles at Ayr recently and will seek his second big victory at the Merseyside track, having claimed the Grade Two bumper there in the spring.
Chepstow scorer Jackpot D’Athou represents Paul Nicholls, while Alan King’s Favour And Fortune has already struck at Hereford and Wetherby over timber.
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