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Henderson taking Cheltenham Festival hopes for weekend spin

Magners Gold Cup contender Might Bite and RSA Chase favourite Santini will school over fences at Newbury on Sunday in preparation for their respective assignments at the Cheltenham Festival.

Runner-up to Native River in a gripping renewal of the blue riband last March, Might Bite has finished well-beaten on each of his two starts this season, disappointing in the Betfair Chase at Haydock and when defending his crown in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.

However, having since undergone minor wind surgery, recent reports have been much more positive – with trainer Nicky Henderson especially pleased with his work during a racecourse gallop at Kempton on Tuesday.

He is set to get some jumping practice in this weekend and will be joined by two stablemates in Santini and On The Blind Side.

Speaking at Newbury on Friday, Henderson said: “I am bringing Santini, On The Blind Side and Might Bite here on Sunday morning. They are going to jump some fences down the back straight.

“I just want Santini and On The Blind Side to have a little pop over fences as they have missed races, while it will do Might Bite good.

“The racecourse has been great in helping us here. I am only bringing those three as I took the rest to Kempton on Tuesday and that all went well.

“These ones just need to jump a fence and get them on some grass. I know exactly what we are going to do. They are all going to jump the five fences down the back straight and then come round and On The Blind Side and Santini will then jump the five down the back again.

“Might Bite will jump the five down the back first time, but if he does that well he probably won’t do it second time round. Might Bite won’t work as he did that at Kempton on Tuesday, whereas the other two will finish up with a gallop.”