Nicky Henderson: “She is a very tough mare who is in good form at home”

CHELTENHAM – SUNDAY

2:20 Hcap Chase

City Chief (Nico De Boinville)

He is developing into a pretty smart staying chaser and could be quite an exciting prospect this season. The ground was much too quick for him up at Ayr in the spring, but that won’t be an issue here and this sort of test could really suit.

2:55 G2 Shloer Chase

Jonbon (Nico De Boinville)

He came to hand pretty quickly so we decided we might as well start off here rather than wait for the Tingle Creek at Sandown in three weeks’ time because he’s ready to go and, as we saw last season, he takes his racing well having come back and won the Celebration Chase after winning at Aintree. He’s been away to gallop at Windsor and this race is by no means a prep for anything else.

3:30 UNIBET GREATWOOD HURDLE

Luccia (James Bowen)

I probably shouldn’t have run her at Wetherby because she wasn’t quite ready and I am rather concerned about the two week gap. You could suggest she’ll strip fitter for that run, but she had a hard race, on soft ground, and coming back so soon may even have set her back a little bit. That said, she is a very tough mare who is in good form at home, and this is a tremendous prize.

Iberico Lord (Nico De Boinville)

He ran a very good race at Sandown behind another of ours, Under Control, where he came from a million miles back that day and he’s a horse I like a lot. His work has been good, as has his schooling, and I’m hopeful of a pretty bold show in a race I am yet to win!