Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BITE’S BIG IMPRESSION
‘Job done’ for King George-bound star
MIGHT BITE warmed up for the King George VI Chase with a triumphant — and drama-free — return to action at Sandown yesterday.
The eight-year-old ended last season as the leading three-mile novice chaser, despite coming to grief with Kempton’s Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at his mercy last Christmas and doing his best to throw away victory in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham in March.
Might Bite remains the bookies’ 7-2 favourite for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day after easily landing odds of 4-9 in Sandown’s 188Bet Future Stars Intermediate Chase.
After seeing Nico De Boinville’s mount score by eight lengths from Frodon, trainer Nicky Henderson smiled: “Job done!
“He’s got character to go with it and he’ll always be worth watching, because you never know what might happen next.
“Let’s hope he’s box office for the right reasons!”
Henderson elected to take on three rivals in yesterday’s Listed event rather than seek a £1million bonus for winning the Betfair Chase at Haydock next Saturday, the King George and the Cheltenham Gold Cup next March.
“He’s just taking gentle steps, and the big test will be on Boxing Day,” added the handler. “They can all go and knock merry hell out of each other at Haydock!”
APPLE’S JADE will seek a repeat success in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse on 3 December after making all the running to win Navan’s Lismullen Hurdle yesterday.