Nicky Henderson: “He is a classy sort.”

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL – WEDNESDAY

1:20 G1 Turners Novices’ Hurdle

Act Of Innocence (Nico De Boinville)

He ran extremely well at Newbury on his penultimate start when finishing second, conceding oodles and oodles of weight to the winner, and he was terrific when stepped up to two and a half in the Sidney Banks which he won in style. That race at Huntingdon didn’t exactly shout out ‘I’m an out and out stayer’ but it did tell us he gets this trip and I can’t help but feel a stiffer track like this will suit him even better.

He’s very much like Old Park Star in the fact he’s a chasing type and can only go on improving. Touch wood, he’s been a very good jumper all the way through and schooled extremely well last week. He is a classy sort.

2:40 Hcap Hurdle

Lucky Place (Brian Hughes)

He is blatantly too high in the weights, but after running him in the Stayers’ Hurdle last year when we all thought he’d get three miles, which he did not, I’m rather thinking two and a half is where we ought to be. I did consider keeping him for Aintree but he’s in great shape so we might as well give it a crack of the whip.

Jingko Blue (James Bowen)

He’s been very lightly raced and this time last year we were talking about going chasing, but he fell in the Reynoldstown and had all sorts of problems, including some back surgery. He is A1 now, however, and that last run at Cheltenham in the Relkeel was very good which would certainly bring him into this, you’d like to think.

Iberico Lord (Nico De Boinville)

He was put up 8lbs for winning the Lanzarote so he’s now back up to 144 and this is always a classy handicap – you tend to find the good horses usually always end up in front where they should, and that Kempton race leads us into this race.

He has got to come on a fair bit but he probably deserved the rise and to be honest the Lanzarote is only worth a little bit less than this race, so it’s good to have that one already in the bank but would obviously be even sweeter if he could win this leg to.

I do think this trip is definitely helping him a lot and you’d have to put him in the melting pot.

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