CRY AND MIGHTY

Tearful Hendo salutes tasty Bite

MIGHT BITE blended brilliance with maturity to deliver for punters in Kempton’s King George VI Chase — and lay to rest the ghost of his Boxing Day fall 12 months ago.

It was at this meeting in 2016 that Nicky Henderson’s eight-year-old came down at the final fence with the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at his mercy.

Having almost thrown away victory at Cheltenham in

March, Might Bite was forging a reputation as a screwball genius.

But the former wild child came of age to live up to his 6-4 favourite status with a flawless display under Nico De Boinville, galloping into a four-length lead on the run to the third-last obstacle before knuckling down on the run-in to beat 50-1 shot Double Shuffle by a length.

“You can enjoy watching a horse like this all day and night,” said a tearful Henderson. “He has sex appeal and loves all the showmanship.”

Henderson also fired a warning at Kempton’s owners, Jockey Club Racecourses, who last January unveiled plans to turn the historic track into a housing estate.

“They’ll be taking me in the bulldozer, I can assure you!” he added. “I’ll be tied to the last ditch with handcuffs.”

Might Bite is 5-1 for the Cheltenham Gold Cup over an additional two and a half furlongs on March 16. Henderson, whose Buveur D’air lifted the Christmas Hurdle at 2-11 –and is now the 7-4 favourite to retain his Champion Hurdle title – has already addressed the issue of Might Bite’s tendency to head for the exit to the racecourse stables on the climb to the winning post – a tactic that nearly cost him dear last spring.

“We’ll think of something,” smiled the trainer. “I already have – but I’m not going to give it away!”

Bryony Frost (above) became the second woman jockey in Britain and Ireland to partner a Grade 1 winner over obstacles as Black Corton outjumped his rivals in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase.