APPLE’S SHAKIRA RIPE FOR SUCCESS
APPLE’S SHAKIRA bids to provide Nicky Henderson with a record seventh victory in the JCB Triumph Hurdle today. It is 33 years since the Seven Barrows handler first claimed the juvenile championship with First Bout and he has struck gold following that with the likes of Katarino (1999) and, most recently, Peace And Co (2015). Apple’s Shakira — a full-sister to top-class racemare Apple’s Jade — appears to hold outstanding claims, having won each of her three starts since arriving from France, with all those victories coming at Prestbury Park. Henderson said: ‘She is great and she has been a lovely filly. She doesn’t know there is another racecourse apart from Cheltenham. ‘She won one race in France, which was hardly a Triumph Hurdle trial or anything, and she is very lazy at home. ‘I did, however, enquire into Apple’s Jade and what she was like, and they told me that she doesn’t do a tap at home so that was all I wanted to hear.’ The JP McManus-owned filly was made to work a little harder than many expected on her latest appearance in late January, but Henderson feels the race was vital in her education. ‘She has learnt to race and Barry [Geraghty] has been at pains to ensure that she has learned how to race,’ he added. ‘He has held her up in behind horses and last time, he jumped the second-last and didn’t necessarily take a pull, but left her with some work to do. She came right away up the hill – the further she went, the better she was. She gets the allowance and I couldn’t be happier with her.’