Nicky Henderson was thrilled with what he saw from Pentland Hills, Fusil Raffles and Verdana Blue as they continued their preparations for next month’s Unibet Champion Hurdle with a racecourse gallop at Kempton.

Sportswear firm JD Sports Fashion today confirmed it is close to landing “certain assets” of the ailing retailer Blacks Leisure.

The owner of the JD Sports chain today said it managed to grow sales over the past month despite slowing spending and the impact of the London bombings.

Takeover talk surrounded the JD Sports chain today after its founder slashed his shareholding nearly in half.