HENDERSON SENSES GOLDEN DAY COMING FOR SANTINI
SANTINI put down an unmistakable Cheltenham Gold Cup claim with a win on the Trials card at the home of jump racing.
The Nicky Hendersontrained eight-year-old, second in the RSA Insurance Novices’ Chase at last year’s National Hunt Festival, had made an insipid comeback when working hard to justify odds of 1-3 at Sandown Park in
November. But Nico de Boinville’s mount was much more convincing yesterday in beating Bristol De Mai by three-and-a-half lengths for the Grade 2 Paddy Power Cotswold Chase – a run that saw him cut to 5-1 for the Gold Cup on March 13.
“That was a lot better than Sandown – 200 per cent better,” enthused Henderson, who saddled Long Run to land the Festival feature in 2011 and scored with Bobs Worth two years later.
“There was no pretension to say, ‘Sandown was fantastic, wasn’t it?’ It was not!
“He’s more like a workmanlike Bobs Worth than a flamboyant Long Run – he thrives on work, work, work, and the more you can get into him, the better he becomes.
“There are a lot of protagonists, but I think we are one.”
Paisley Park justified odds of 8-13 for a repeat win in the Grade 2 galliardhomes.com Cleeve Hurdle – and is now as short as 4-5 to defend his Stayers’ Hurdle title.
“I thought that was as good a performance as I’ve seen from him – how he jumped, how he travelled,” said trainer Emma Lavelle after watching him cross with ears pricked.
“As soon as I see those ears going forward, I’m like, ‘OK, this is fine!’ I love him!”