Pal Jessie the threat to Nicky’s treble bid

NICKY HENDERSON stands on the verge of history in the £625,000 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup but he might still be feeling a bit like Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

The Lambourn-based trainer’s wins in the Champion Hurdle with Buveur D’Air and Champion Chase with Altior have been the stand-out results for the home team this week.

If Might Bite can win the Gold Cup, Henderson will become the first trainer to ever secure that big-race treble at a single Festival.

Henderson, who won the 2013 Gold Cup with Bobs Worth, has conceded he has concerns about the testing ground for Might Bite, who is racing for the first time since winning the King George at Cheltenham on Boxing Day.

After seeing the action played out for three days, Henderson said: ‘You are always concerned because it is not ideal for him. He is a better horse on better ground.’

The Might Bite sceptics will also point to the swerve right last year which almost threw away the RSA Chase as a reason for concern.

But, despite the claims of last year’s Colin Tizzard-trained third Native River and Cotswold Chase winner Definitly Red, trained by Brian Ellison (below), the biggest threat to Might Bite comes draped in an Irish tricolour.

Before this meeting even started, it had the look of Henderson against the Irish and it is panning out that way.

Like Crockett standing on the Alamo fort ramparts, looking at the relentless waves of Mexican forces, Henderson must feel slightly worried at the massed Irish opposition.

Eight of Might Bite’s 17 opponents hail from across the Irish Sea, four of them trained by Willie Mullins and two by Gordon Elliott, the men responsible for 13 of the 21 wins so far at this meeting.

Mullins has developed a neat way of deflecting expectations for his Gold Cup prospects after six seconds, RACING CORRESPONDENT AT CHELTENHAM two of them from Djakadam, who tries again with his son Patrick riding.

The best of the Mullins quartet may turn out to be Killultagh Vic, who looked like winning when he fell at the final fence in last month’s Irish Gold Cup.

He would have been Ruby Walsh’s mount but for the jockey’s injury and Paul Townend has stepped in.

Henderson reckons it is ‘ not quite been me against the Irish’ but still thinks ‘Jessie’s horse’ might be his biggest threat. Jessie is Irish trainer Jessica Harrington, Henderson’s house guest during Cheltenham week.

Injury has ruled out her 2017 Gold Cup winner Sizing John and ‘her horse’ this afternoon is 2017 Irish National winner Our Duke, who will be ridden by Robbie Power. Henderson could well be right. In a Gold Cup where stamina will be at a premium, Our Duke looks tailor-made.

His recent defeat of Presenting Percy, Wednesday’s easy RSA Chase winner, also looks even better now. Power agrees he would have had quite a choice to make if he had to choose between Sizing John and Our Duke.

Last year’s winning rider said: ‘ It would have been a tricky decision but unfortunately Sizing John is not here. I am very lucky I have a replacement in Our Duke. You’re guaranteed that he will stay the trip and handle the ground, which is a major plus. ‘He has a lot of things in his favour. The big question mark is whether he handles the track. I think he will and he ticks a lot of boxes.

‘He’s made a few mistakes. I am not going to make a secret of that. But if he gets into a good rhythm he has a massive chance.’ It would be ironic if Henderson’s shot at history was blocked by his friend — but it

could easily happen.