BITE LOOKS DEADLY
Henderson pleased with Festival team
FOLLOWING his two dismal performances this season, Might Bite is now looking like the horse who finished second in last year’s Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The gelding, who was outstayed by Native River in last season’s blue riband, delighted his trainer Nicky Henderson after jumping 10 fences at Newbury racecourse yesterday.
“Might Bite is in very good order,” said Henderson. “He has to bounce back and we were very pleased with him.
“His work has been very good the last couple of weeks and today was great.”
Might Bite has clearly lost the support of the punters for his second attempt at taking gold.
Ladbrokes offer 16-1, behind Presenting Percy the 4-1 favourite.
Henderson added: “He’s in great shape. We tinkered with his wind again and it usually does help them when you do that.”
The champion trainer also put Santini, the RSA Chase 3-1 favourite, and On The Blind Side, a 14-1 chance for the race, through their paces.
“Santini was good. I would have liked to have run him in the Reynoldstown at Ascot but we were forced out of that race because he required a flu jab,” added his trainer.
“He is a big horse and does take quite a lot of work so we’ve had to press a little bit and today was a big step forward.”
Santini made a winning debut over fences at Newbury and was not disgraced when third to the talented La Bague Au Roi in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
On The Blind Side opened his account over fences at Kempton in January after failing to fire earlier at Cheltenham. RICHARD JOHNSON will decide today whether to resume riding tomorrow after damaging some muscles in his back after taking a heavy fall at Newbury on Saturday.
“I’m OK, just a bit sore,” said the champion jockey. “I’ve hurt my muscles in my back, it’s not too bad.
“I’m not riding on Monday and we’ll take a view in the morning whether I can ride on Tuesday.
“I’ll give it another 24 hours and make a bit more of a plan.”
Johnson is currently the most successful jockey this season – 33 winners ahead of his nearest rival Harry Skelton,
“I landed on my back and it was just very sore, it was very tender,” he added. “It’s nothing too serious, just stiff and sore.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. I just landed very awkwardly more than anything else.
“Fortunately I didn’t get kicked or anything.”
Johnson, as usual, has a cracking book of rides for next week’s Cheltenham Festival.
The mount he will be most looking forward to is Native River who attempts to make it back-to-back victories in the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday week.