Henderson wary of Fly threat
Having won the Cheltenham two-mile title on no less than five occasions, including for the last two years, there is no-one more qualified than Henderson to cast his eye over the field.
While he fears Peddlers Cross, who beat Binocular on his first start of the season in the rearranged Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newbury, the Irish ace Hurricane Fly has caught his eye after winning all three outings this term.
“Since Newbury I would have said Peddlers Cross would always be one of our main dangers as I thought that race was good, even though we knew we had a lot of improvement to come,” said Henderson.
“But I think Hurricane Fly would be the one I’d probably fear the most. He has always looked good. He wasn’t there last year but he has to be the best of the Irish. It’s certainly very open and I think they are very good.”
Binocular has again had a slightly perplexing season. He was beaten on his first two runs in the winter of 2009 and just scraped home in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown before returning to his imperious best in the Champion.
However, he had been revitalised by a mini-break at his owner JP McManus’ stud in Ireland before the Festival.
This season he won the Christmas Hurdle in fine fashion but was similarly unimpressive in the same event at Sandown.
“I think as long as he’s at the level he was last year, he’ll certainly take a lot of beating,” Henderson said.
Henderson will have at least one more shot at the race, all but confirming the participation of the up-and-coming Oscar Whisky.
He continued: “Barry Geraghty has been saying ’you’re not sure he doesn’t need three miles?’ but he’s got a lot of speed.
“He has to go further eventually and I’d be happy for him to do so, but I think he’ll go for the Champion Hurdle.”
Long Run was labelled by Henderson yesterday as easily his greatest chance of winning an elusive totesport Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Robert Waley-Cohen’s six-year-old has already fulfilled one of his trainer’s burning ambitions in providing him with a first King George VI Chase at Kempton last month.
Long Run’s main challenge will be to improve on his record at Cheltenham, having finished third on his only two course visits in the RSA Chase and last November’s Paddy Power Gold Cup.
But Henderson brushed off those fears yesterday.
“He’s my best by quite a long way, I suspect,” said Henderson.
Reflecting on Long Run’s previous outings, Henderson said: “Nothing went right for him in the RSA last year and we had an inkling the week before in his coat and his whole demeanour, he’d just suddenly gone. But at the moment everything is going well.
“I’m not worried about Cheltenham. It had been a long campaign before the RSA. He’s very young for a Gold Cup horse but there’s nothing else you can do and he stays.”
Long Run and stablemate Riverside Theatre finished first and second in the King George, with four-time Kempton hero Kauto Star only third.
But Henderson warned the champion could be back, adding: “You have to accept that wasn’t Kauto Star anywhere near his best – they can’t both beat him like that because Kauto at his very best at Kempton was awesome.
“If Kauto Star turns up like he was in the King George the year before, he is still the horse we’ve all got to beat.”
