Nicky Henderson: “We all love Gino and hopefully this will set us up nicely for a crack at the Unibet Champion Hurdle.”

CHELTENHAM

12:05

Califet En Vol (Nico De Boinville)

The big question is how many of these will run and what the ground will be like because, as you know, we have had a lot of rain!

We think he’ll cope with it and he has experience at the track having run two good races at Cheltenham over fences and he should be spot on this time.

3:00 UNIBET HURDLE

Sir Gino (Nico De Boinville)

Everything has gone well since Kempton and there isn’t much more that I can add that hasn’t already been said.

He’s a very uncomplicated character with a great turn of foot so it doesn’t matter if we have to sit out the back or make our own running. The New Lion is obviously a very good horse but we’ve never shied away from the fact that we all love Gino and hopefully this will set us up nicely for a crack at the Unibet Champion Hurdle in March.

3:35

Impose Toi (Nico De Boinville)

He has emerged as a genuine stayer, and a very talented one at that, and this race seems the perfect stepping stone to the Festival.

He doesn’t show very much at home so rather than send him up and down the gallop until March, which can be quite boring, it makes sense to give him another run to keep his fitness up. He’s won at Cheltenham before as a young horse and is extremely consistent.

Doddiethegreat (Freddie Gordon)

He would struggle to win a Handicap off his current mark so we are sort of forced into running in races like this but it doesn’t matter because any prize money he earns goes directly to the Doddie Weir Foundation, hence Kenny Alexander, his owner, is more than happy to let him take his chance.

4:10

Act Of Innocence (Nico De Boinville)

The first race is a Juvenile but it is still not great having a Novice race at the end of the card on ground which is undoubtedly going to be very testing. We’re going up in trip because, after Newbury, it looked as though the extra distance will suit, but that’s not to say he didn’t run a great race because he was giving lots and lots of weight to the winner. He’s in excellent shape and a person with a very bright future.

DONCASTER

12:20

Manlaga (James Bowen)

We just been waiting for some rain, which we’ve certainly got, but this does look a very classy race. Wherever we we’re trying to go she ended up with a hefty 10lbs penalty for her win in Auteuil so only has 5lbs extra here, along with the Irish raider, therefore her chance is heightened.

2:38

Noble Park (David Bass)

Two and a half around Kempton last time was a bit sharp on good ground so he’s up in trip on a softer surface which will hopefully ensure he’s seen in a better light and he would have to enter serious calculations.

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