Aintree going crucial to Long Run’s Bowl bid
The six-year-old produced a superb performance to get the better of old warriors Denman and Kauto Star in the Prestbury Park blue riband, and connections are keen to see him sign off his campaign in the totesport Bowl on Thursday week.
But Henderson will not risk his charge if he feels conditions are unsuitably fast and he has also confirmed if he does not go to Aintree, he will be heading back to Robert Waley-Cohen’s stud for his summer break.
“The only thing I can say is that if you see him, it will be at Aintree,” Henderson told At The Races.
“Immediately after the Gold Cup, there was a mention of going to France, but he’s definitely not going to do that. It is either Aintree or bed.
“The horse is in the process of being prepared for Aintree, but obviously we’ll keep a very close eye on the weather.
“He’s going through the motions as he normally would before a race. He’ll have a schooling session with Yogi (Breisner) at the beginning of next week.
“I would not run him on fast ground – he wouldn’t run if it was good to firm. It would have to be good or softer.
“Courses are very good at watering now and we’ll have to see, but I like to see natural irrigation rather than watering. I think it makes a big difference sometimes.
“I can’t promise he’ll be at Aintree, but it is probable.”
Meanwhile Starluck has been receiving some expert jumping tuition ahead of his scheduled run in the John Smith’s Maghull Novices’ Chase at Aintree next week.
The six-year-old has visited jumping guru Yogi Breisner – the man who helped improve the jumping of Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Long Run – after a lacklustre round at Sandown last time.
Starluck came home third despite being sent off an odds-on favourite on that occasion, but trainer Alan Fleming is hoping he can set the record straight when upped to Grade One level on Saturday week.
“Aintree is very much the plan now. He just suffered a little overreach at Sandown but he’s over that now and everything is going well,” he said.
“He’s had a little trip down to Yogi Breisner’s to see what his thoughts were and he was largely happy with him, which was positive. “He will have another trip down there and hopefully that will help him.”
