CHAMP WellChild Gold Cup

Friday (3.05)

MADE light of some untidy fencing for a last-gasp, one-length win from Minella Indo when attempting three miles for the first time in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham last March.

Off track for 347 days, undergoing wind surgery in the interim, before return in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in February.

Marked his first try over obstacles at two miles with a two-length second to Sceau Royal, jumping fluently in the lead until headed when making a mistake at the final fence. HENDERSON SAYS: Last year was an extraordinary performance — he was out of it and not going to feature.

I was focusing on the leaders, then all of a sudden he came back into sight and swept past them. That proves one thing, which is important — his stamina.

When he came back into training we loose-schooled him at Henrietta Knight’s and we could definitely hear a noise. It caused us to go and get a wind operation.

My head was on the chopping block if this ridiculous idea of going over two miles at Newbury didn’t work.

But it worked. His jumping was exceptional — that was the thing that needed ironing out — and we’ve all come away happy.

Santini was second in the Gold Cup. He’s had a desperate winter but he’s in the same shape as last year and we will put a visor on him. NEWSBOY’S VERDICT: The plan to give your chief Gold Cup hope his prep over two miles may have come out of left-field, but it could hardly have worked better.

The difference between the Champ of 2020 and 2021 is his jumping. It was hard to imagine the old version winning a Gold Cup, but his technique against two-mile chasers on his return was much more assured. ODDS: 9-2

BY MONKFISH should be backed at 3-1 in William Hill’s Cheltenham Specials ‘Which Will Win By Furthest Distance’ market.

Willie Mullins was in dominant form at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival last month, capturing four of the six Grade 1 contests.

And last year’s Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle hero Monkfish was the most impressive, crushing his Flogas Novice Chase rivals by 11 lengths.

Monkfish towers head and shoulders above the opposition in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase.