Festival Watch: Henderson looks to Cheltenham with strongest hand for years

Might Bite defied his critics to deliver in the midseason showpiece and is now second favourite behind defending champion Sizing John for the Cheltenham Festival's Gold Cup highlight.

Henderson makes no secret of his love for tatty and unloved Kempton Park, a brilliant racing track, that is bizarrely condemned for closure, on the outskirts of London.

His Champion Hurdle winner Buveur D'Air underlined his Festival claims in the Christmas Hurdle but Might Bite was always the star attraction for a bumper crowd.

At the same meeting last year he led by 20 lengths in the Kauto Star Novice Chase, only to blunder at the final fence. At the Festival he was a commanding leader of the RSA Chase, sailing over the last, before veering off a racing line and slowing to a virtual halt, only to galvanise and claim a narrow photo finish victory.

You can't take much for granted with Might Bite but the quirkiness only adds to the fun for his followers. He's so good, it's almost like he wants to give the others a fighting chance. He even idled slightly in the run-in to allow Double Shuffle, a 50-1 shot, to get within a length at the line.

But other Gold Cup contenders will surely have to consider their plans now. Thistlecrack simply isn't the same horse that won last year's King George in his novice year. His defeat to Many Clouds at Cheltenham's Trials Day, the former Grand National winner collapsing and dying moments after taking the win, clearly still haunts him.

Trainer Colin Tizzard is keeping positive and jockey Tom Scudamore insists he'll improve for the Kempton run but blind optimism is required. Meanwhile, Bristol De Mai's jumping was exposed by Might Bite's front-running performance and he looked a spent force in the closing stages.

"The question now is what do we do next? We'll probably have another run but it won't be a slog in a bog and if it froze up until March that wouldn't bother me," said Henderson.

"I think the one place you won't see him is the Cotswold Chase on Trials Day. There's one unknown thing and that is the Gold Cup distance around Cheltenham. He's not been that far but I don't see why it should worry him.

"I certainly don't want to find out on Trials day, let's find out on Gold Cup day.

"The Denman Chase at Newbury in February is a possibility but you'd need be careful with the ground. It's not vital that he runs before the Gold Cup in our book."

Might Bite aside, there were other places to look for Gold Cup pointers apart from Kempton over the holidays. Sizing John will look to go 12 months unbeaten in Leopardstown's Christmas Chase on Thursday while Coney Island underlined his credentials at Ascot's festive meeting.

After almost a year off the track, the JP McManus owned horse, a grade one winning novice for rising star trainer Eddie Harty last season, was foot perfect in taking a three-horse Graduation Chase, his Festival odds halving to 10-1 as he crossed the line.

"I didn't want to pitch him in against Sizing John in his first race back, so this was perfect," said Harty. "I’d imagine we'll put him in the Irish Gold Cup and Cheltenham Gold Cup and see how he goes from there, hopefully we get a trouble-free run."

But 2018 could be a special year for Henderson, with a trifecta in Cheltenham's big three Championship races looking very tasty - quite something when consider his career 58 wins at the Festival.

Indeed, if his bullets hit the target this could eclipse his record seven winners in 2012.

Besides Might Bite, Buveur D'Air looks to have the beating of the field in the Champion Hurdle, while Henderson, 67, also lines up favourite Altior in the Champion Chase.

He is expected to make his first appearance in ten months in Newbury in February but Henderson has now hinted he may go straight to the Festival without a run this season.

In the absence of the injured Douvan, the race should be at his mercy, though Champion Trainer Paul Nicholls is feeling increasingly bullish about Politologue, who lowered the colours of defending Champion Chase winner Special Tiara to win Kempton's Desert Orchid Chase, his third big race of the season.

James Toney/Sportsbeat 2017