Soft going will suit unbeaten Santini

SANTINI leads a four-strong team for Nicky Henderson in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle today.

He has won the three-mile contest once before, with subsequent Gold Cup hero Bobs Worth in 2011.

Santini was snapped up for £150,000 after winning his only start in the point-topoint field and is unbeaten in two starts over hurdles, most recently seeing off Wednesday’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle runner-up Black Op in a Grade Two at Cheltenham in January.

Henderson said: “I took Santini out one day at Ascot because it was soft, then I ran him back here on the soft and he went through it well, so hopefully he will be fine.”

Chef Des Obeaux finished four-and-a-half lengths behind Santini on his hurdling bow at Newbury in December and has won each of his three starts since.

The supplemented Ok Corral and Mr Whipped complete the quartet.

Henderson added: “This is totally Chef Des Obeaux’s ground, but he is an absolutely useless work horse. I thought he is as slow as they come. He won well last time, though.

“Ok Corral should be fine on the ground. He has been fragile, but he is going the right way now and Barry (Geraghty) said we should up him to three miles as that will make it easier for him.”

Willie Mullins struck gold with Penhill 12 months ago and has three representatives in Ballyward, Real Steel and Fabulous Saga.

Patrick Mullins, assistant to his father, said: “Ballyward is the right sort of horse for the race in that he’s a horse who stays well. The worry would be it tends to suit horses with plenty of experience and obviously he’s only had the two runs over hurdles. Real Steel is stepping up a mile in trip, but both myself and Paul (Townend) felt the step up would help him improve.”