Chantry House on retrieval mission

Nicky Henderson appears to be one of the few British trainers manning the barricades against the Irish inva- sion for this year’s Cheltenham Festival and Chantry House and Champ can cement their places in a team that already includes Shishkin, Constitution Hill, Jonbon and Walking On Air by winning their dress rehearsals at the Gloucestershire track today.

Chantry House was 3-1 favourite for the King George on Boxing Day but was pulled up six out. Avoiding a hard race that day should pay dividends and Chantry House is fitted with cheekpieces for his return to Cheltenham, a course he likes.

If there is a horse who could rattle his cage it may be his old stable companion Santini, who is now back with Polly Gundry, who had him for point-to-pointing, at Ottery St Mary.

With Klassical Dream fluffing his lines at Gowran Park on Thursday when a tame fourth, Champ is favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle by default after beating Thyme Hill in the Long Walk at Ascot.

He won the RSA Chase at the Festival two years ago, so stamina is not a problem, and, after jumping issues surfaced in last year’s Gold Cup, the Stayers’ looks the sensible route, although he still holds a Gold Cup entry. He needs to account for Paisley Park again and Mcfabulous for the first time to remain at the head of that market.

Another Henderson runner, Balco Coastal, gets 5lb from Henry Daly’s Hillcrest in the Ballymore Hurdle but, if he has an advantage, it may be the unseasonally good ground. Nevertheless, Hillcrest has done nothing wrong and if he is a genuine Festival contender, he also needs to be winning this race today.