Nicky Henderson: “Jumping is her biggest weapon”

A very quiet Saturday for us, with just one runner at Aintree, but we’ve made a good start to the season and it was great to have an across the card treble yesterday. The Novices have all begun well and I was very pleased with Jango Baie who showed a very good attitude to win at Ascot last Saturday. Kintail won nicely at Warwick and is a horse I really like, alongside Willmount who got his hurdles career off to fine start at Newbury and is quite an exciting horse. He’s a big, strong person who has chaser written all over him, but hopefully he’ll enjoy a productive year over timber and develop into a high-class horse. Gentleman’s Relish showed what we all knew he was capable of when easily winning the Bumper and we’ll probably kick on with him now. Choccabloc is improving with every run, and I thought James gave him a great ride to get up in a tight finish at Ludlow.

AINTREE

2:45 Grand Sefton Chase

Fantastic Lady (Nico De Boinville) This race has always been the early season target, and she has valuable experience over these fences having finished second in the Topham last spring. She is a very talented mare, although I must admit slogging 12 stone around on heavy ground may not be her cup of tea, and the going is very much a concern after the course was waterlogged earlier in the week, so it’s going to be extremely testing. That said, it was soft when she ran in the Topham so I can’t really pull her out here and jumping is her biggest weapon. Whether she’s a Grand National prospect I don’t know, but we are looking at those cross country races because she is so good over an obstacle. She’s in good shape at home, though, and has schooled well.

Southoftheborder makes his hurdles debut in the Maiden at Sandown on Sunday (1:40) and he’s another promising novice coming through. He won his bumper very easily and has schooled particularly well. We like him plenty.